Horsham school closes amid fears over unsafe concrete

Greenway Academy says there are concerns that RAAC – reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete – could be present in the building.

Scores of schools and colleges throughout the country have been told by the Government to close classrooms and other buildings that contain the concrete which could suddenly collapse.

The building material was widely used in public buildings from the 1930s to the mid 1990s.

Greenway junior school, in Greenway, Horsham, says that no RAAC has yet been found at its premises but that the school would remain shut tomorrow (Tuesday September 5) at the start of the new term.

A spokesperson for GFS Schools – which runs Greenway – said: “There is no confirmed RAAC at Greenway. There are areas where the presence of RAAC cannot be ruled out and these will be out of use until further surveys are complete.

"Parents have been advised that the school will be closed on Tuesday to allow for arrangements to be put in place and will be updated further in due course.”

Meanwhile, West Sussex County Council is to commission inspections of all of its schools which were built between 1930 and 2000.

It issued a statement after news that concrete safety concerns will force the closure of 100 schools, colleges and nurseries in England.

A spokesperson said: “No West Sussex County Council maintained schools have been identified from records as containing any indicating RAAC construction and to provide added confidence physical inspections of all maintained school blocks constructed between 1930-2000 is being commissioned.”

Horsham District Council granted planning consent in July for Greenway Academy to be demolished and replaced with a new building.

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Construction company Reds 10, on behalf of the Department for Education, was given the go ahead from the council to knock down the school and put a new junior school on a playing field within the school grounds. The council was told in a report: “The school in its current state is not fit for purpose.”

Greenway had already been identified as being in need of improvements as part of the Department for Education’s schools rebuilding programme.