Ferryhill School has reportedly been forced to postpone its opening after the summer holidays after being told that their buildings contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) or ‘crumbling concrete’.
The school, which has about 800 pupils and is part of the Eden Learning Trust groups of schools, will be using some online learning until 18 September. More than 150 schools in England have been confirmed as having RAAC so far, with 52 which have been deemed at risk of sudden collapse, being closed or partially closed.
Mel Robson, who runs a travel agency and has two school-aged children in the town, spoke to the BBC earlier this week. She said she was concerned about their start to the new term. She said one of her children was about to start secondary school and would start a week late, with the other pupils taught online.
“Myself and my husband both work full-time,” she said. “We’ve got one child who’s just started their secondary school journey who’s going to be in an isolated year group, not having the full experience. My son’s starting his GCSEs this year. We don’t know how it’s going to work logistically. Remote learning didn’t work for him during Covid. He’s going to have to be home until they find temporary buildings. Nobody’s going to be there to monitor him. He’s a teenage kid with an Xbox at home.”
Paul Howell, MP for Sedgefield constituency, which includes Ferryhill, said: “My understanding is that the government is doing what it can do. Each school, as I understand it, is being allocated a case worker, any costs that are being incurred in terms of trying to get through this rectification process are being supported by the DfE,” he said.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb earlier said the urgent rethink had been taken in England after a beam at a school collapsed over the summer that had been considered safe. Mr Howell added: “The advice that ministers have been given has now had to be accelerated at very short notice. I don’t think that anybody likes that it is short notice but surely that is better than risk of putting our children in the wrong space.”
A spokesperson for Durham County Council told the Chapter that no council-maintained schools are affected by the issue.
Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan has said she is sorry the call to close some schools over unsafe concrete came at the “worst time”, just before the start of the new school year.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
