Parts of two Bradford schools shut over concrete safety fears

Parts of two Bradford primary schools will remain closed when pupils return for the new term after a potentially dangerous type of concrete was found.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was used in buildings between the 1950s and the 1990s and is weaker than traditional concrete.

It is considered past its lifespan, but has been found in two primary schools.

Bradford Council said plans were in place to ensure no one was at risk and to minimise disruption to education.

The estimated lifespan of RAAC is around 30 years and, because of this, work now needs to be carried out on affected buildings to make sure they are structurally safe.

In the two schools in Bradford which were affected - Crossflatts Primary and Eldwick Primary - access had been prohibited to areas where RAAC was found to be present, Bradford Council said.

At least eight teaching spaces across both sites had been closed, alongside other staffing facilities and the loss of the kitchen at Crossflatts, the authority added.

The council said education provision would continue at the schools in the short term, with alterations to the safe areas so all children could be accommodated.

The interim alteration works would be finished by 3 September, it said.

A longer term plan was in place to provide temporary classrooms on both sites and they were expected to arrive in the next few months, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Bradford Council said specialist surveyors had been brought in to assess the 46 schools it maintained, with 45 having been examined so far.

Sue Lowndes, assistant director schools and learning, said: "We know how important it is to make sure children can continue at school.

"Headteachers at the affected schools are working with parents and staff so we can keep them informed of the changes that are being put in place."

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