Crumbling concrete found at Moulton Primary School

A primary school near Northampton has been forced to close for two days following the discovery of concrete that is prone to collapse.

The reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found in the roof of a building that houses six classrooms at Moulton Primary School.

It is the second school in the county where the concrete has been discovered.

The acting headteacher said she was determined to limit the impact on her pupils' education.

The discovery of the concrete, which can crumble, in schools and public buildings has led to a number of closures across the country since the start of September.

This latest find follows survey work at Moulton Primary towards the end of last week.

Parents have been told the year one and year six classrooms have been affected, along with the library and music room.

Year six pupils will be taught at Moulton Secondary School for the time being, while year one children will be taught in the primary school hall and other rooms.

Eamonn Byrne, a parent of a child at the school, said: "You feel for the school who are in that position - they've handled it very well, but you kind of think that, further up the food chain, if they'd been given that information in the two months the school was closed over the summer, it could have been mitigated a little bit."

David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet member for community safety, said: "Children's safety is our primary concern, though we're conscious that the short-term closure will cause inconvenience for parents.

"The Department for Education will assign a case worker to help make interim plans, so that children can all have the access to education they are entitled to."

The council said the cost of reinforcing or replacing the roof was unknown at this stage, but it had been assured that the government would pay for any work needed.

Part of Northampton International Academy in Barrack Road was sealed off last week because of concerns about the presence of Raac in a roof, and the Royal and Derngate Theatres were also closed for the rest of the month after Raac was found in the foyers.

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