The Cadre Academy in Middlesbrough has been closed after the buildings investigation found RAAC

Kader Academy in Middlesbrough has told parents it will remain closed following an inspection by a building surveyor on Saturday next week.

Principal Alison Mitchinson wrote to parents saying staff would do their best to limit disruption to students.

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In her letter, she said: “As you know, there are a number of schools and public buildings across the country that have recently been found to have reinforced aerated concrete (RAAC).”

“In accordance with Government Recommendations (DFE), Kader Academy today commissioned a Chartered Building Surveyor to conduct an RAAC survey of the building.

“We were made aware this afternoon of the presence of RAAC in various parts of the school building.

“Unfortunately, in accordance with the latest government guidelines, we are forced to close the entire school to all students with immediate effect.

“This is happening while further investigations are being conducted to determine the condition of the RAAC and implement any potential mitigation/remedial actions.”

Ms Mitchinson said fourth grade children will be able to continue their school trip on Monday 11 September as planned and asked students to meet their teachers at 9am with a packed lunch in the school yard.

The newly built Kindergarten will remain open, however those staying for lunch will need to bring a packed lunch as the school does not have kitchen facilities.

The Headteacher said: “We fully appreciate that this is an extremely frustrating and unexpected situation for everyone involved.

“The last thing we want to do is close the school and disrupt the children’s learning and their start to the new school year, but unfortunately we have no choice but to follow the guidelines from the DFE.

“At this point we are unsure of how the situation will develop next week and cannot give a timeline at this time as to when we can welcome the children back to school.

“Rest assured that we will keep you informed of developments and will update you as soon as possible.

“We know this is a difficult situation, but we ask for your patience while we find a way to safely resolve the issue.”

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At the end of the summer holidays, more than 100 schools and colleges were ordered to partially or fully close their buildings, affecting several across the region.

This is because reinforced aerated concrete (RAAC) was used in construction between the 1950s and mid-1990s and is prone to failure.

The roof of a primary school in Kent collapsed in 2018 and RAAC was later identified as the culprit.

Ms Mitchinson said the news came as a huge shock to Kader Academy teachers on Saturday afternoon and a full report from the civil engineer was expected on Monday morning.

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She said: “As a leadership team we want to go through the recommendations carefully and certainly develop an action plan to work towards getting children back to school.”

“We will be speaking to the DFE on Monday for more information on the response and will be in touch with all of you on Monday.

“I cannot express enough how shocked and upset I am and want to assure you that we are doing our utmost to limit the disruption this will cause.”