A Scottish secondary school has been partially closed over concerns it may have been built with a potentially dangerous type of structural concrete.
More than 20 rooms at Preston Lodge High School in Prestonpans, East Lothian, have been closed while structural studies are carried out into the potential use of autoclaved reinforced concrete (RAAC).
In a statement, East Lothian Council said that, like other local authorities in the UK, it had carried out structural surveys of buildings built between the 1950s and 1980s to assess the possible use of RAAC precast concrete materials.
“In order to facilitate these surveys, some parts of the building have been temporarily closed,” he said.
“Teacher director [of Preston Lodge] Gavin Clark and his staff have put in place alternative arrangements to ensure the continuation of teaching, including the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s current exam calendar, while more detailed survey work is carried out.”
RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete used in the construction of ceilings, floors, cladding and walls throughout the UK from the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s.
Safety concerns over the historic use of RAAC in public buildings led the Government Property Office to warn last year that the material was now “expired and could collapse”, noting that this he had already moved on to two schools with “little or no warning.” “.
The Ministry of Justice recently suggested the material could be present in six court buildings, while the Ministry of Defense is investigating barracks and training facilities on its estate that it fears may also be at risk.
Earlier this year, six education unions wrote an open letter to the UK government calling for urgent action on failing schools.
It followed a Department for Education warning last year that the prospect of a school built after the war collapsing was “highly likely” as they reached the end of their useful life.
In a letter to parents at Preston Lodge High School quoted in local media, Clark said: “Although survey work at Preston Lodge has already started, it is clear, following discussion with the contractor, that temporarily restricting access to some parts of the building allow inspections to be carried out efficiently and effectively.
“Undertaking these inspections to establish the extent to which any RAAC was used in the construction of the building will provide us with important information and support the ongoing health and safety of all our students and staff.”
He added that while the disruption was inevitable, the school had the capacity to allow learning to continue because there were only three year groups, due to the exams currently being held.
