KATHERINES Primary Academy has informed parents and guardians that the school has closed with “immediate effect” due to safety concerns.

The chief executive officer of NET Academies, Jo Coton and Head of School, Annette Norris wrote to all concerned on Thursday August 31st.

The start of the new school term will be delayed (on site) until at least September 11th.

A spokesperson for Katherines Primary Academy said:

“Katherines Primary Academy has been closed due to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the structure of the building following guidance from the Department for Education (DfE).

“We know the closure will mean disruption but we are committed to ensuring that the impact on the children is kept to an absolute minimum. All education will therefore continue in person, albeit with term starting at a slightly later date, Monday 11^th September. Nursery, Reception and Years 1 and 2 will be kept on site at Katherines, using the classrooms in the Annexe and the Lodge, parts of the building which do not contain RAAC and which are therefore safe to access.

Years 3, 4, 5 and 6) will be relocated to other NET schools in Harlow. This is a temporary measure and the DfE and Essex County Council will be supporting us with longer term remediation measures so that we can bring all children back into classrooms together once they are fully confident it is safe to do so. Children’s teachers will move with them so that they have a familiar adult at the school. The timings of the school day will remain the same, 8:40am to 3:45pm.

“We appreciate that the timing of this decision, shortly before the start of the school term, is far from ideal. The decision has been taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure pupil and staff safety, which is our highest priority and something we will not compromise on.”

A spokesperson for Jerounds Primary Academy said:

“We are pleased to let you know that following a meeting with Essex County Council this morning, the school is safe to be used as normal. This means that the new term will start as scheduled at the school.

“We had received advice from the Department for Education (DfE) that 

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is present in the structure of the kitchen at the school. There is no RAAC present in any other area of the building, including the classrooms and hall. RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete which was used in roof, floor, cladding and wall construction in the UK from the mid-1930s to the mid-1990s in many public sector buildings, including schools and hospitals. It is recognised that RAAC panels have material and construction deficiencies making them less robust than traditional concrete.

“However, further surveys have shown that the school kitchen is supported by a reinforcing steel structure, which strengthens the concrete. Essex County Council has therefore told us that the school is safe to open as normal. The safety of our pupils and staff is paramount, and we have received assurances from the council as to the safety of the building. However, we of course want to be especially careful and therefore the council has agreed to undertake monitoring visits every three months as a further precautionary measure.”

Some 104 schools and colleges are being told to shut off buildings partially or fully due to fears reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – a material used from the 1950s to mid-1990s – could suddenly collapse. 

YH is attempting to establish whether there are other Harlow schools affected.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-66681227

RAAC is a lightweight building material used from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s, but now assessed to be at risk of collapse. 

The Department for Education (DfE) has been considering RAAC as a potential issue since late 2018.

More follows.

More than 100 schools told to close buildings over safety fears