Telford headteacher says school is 'absolutely safe' after dangerous concrete found and ceilings removed
A headteacher at a Telford school found to contain danger concrete has moved to reassure parents the building is "absolutely" safe and ready to welcome pupils, despite missing most of its regular ceilings.
Donnington Wood Infant School & Nursery's head Caroline Boddy addressed parents in a letter, saying the school is "absolutely safe" despite potentially dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) being found in the building over the summer.
More than 100 school buildings across the country have been told to partially or fully close due to safety fears over the presence of RAAC.
The Government issued safety advice last week after a concrete beam which showed no sign of being unsafe collapsed over the summer.
On Friday, Telford & Wrekin Council confirmed the concrete was present at one school in the borough - Donnington Wood Infants, off Baldwin Webb Avenue in Donnington.
In a letter to parents, headteacher Mrs Boddy said the school team is "really looking forward" to welcoming pupils back next week - though she admitted the site "looks a little bit different since the start of the summer holidays".
"We have had to remove the ceilings across most of the school and parts of nursery, so that surveyors could check for the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete," the letter reads.
"Surveys identified that RAAC is present in some roofs, and work will be planned for later in the school year to address this, but the school and nursery will continue to be open and run as usual.
"In the meantime, additional measures including temporary ceilings have been put in place to make sure the school and nursery remains safe.
"I want to reassure you that the building is absolutely safe, and we are looking forward to another fantastic year."
All other schools in the borough have been ruled out after inspections were undertaken over the holidays.
Shropshire Council confirmed on Friday that no schools would be closing in its area, but a "very small number" required surveys.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.