Preston school to reopen tomorrow following concrete issues

A Preston secondary school which delayed the start of the new academic year because of a question mark over whether any parts of its site contained “crumbly concrete” has been given the all clear.

Fulwood Academy will reopen on Wednesday (6th September) after contacting parents and carers of pupils on Sunday morning to advise them of the last-minute decision to close the facility for the first two days of the week after concerns were raised by parents and staff.

Headtecaher Andrew Galbraith told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Tuesday afternoon that he was “glad to be reopening” the school and “looking forward to welcoming all pupils”.

The sudden closure came in the wake of an online BBC report identifying “Fulwood Secondary School” as being closed on Monday and Tuesday this week because of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete – or RAAC – which can fail without warning when it reaches the end of its lifespan.

There is no establishment by that name and it later emerged that the article had intended to refer to Our Lady’s Catholic High – also in Fulwood – which the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed on Friday had been told to close by the Diocese of Lancaster after RAAC was confirmed.

However, the confusion that was sown resulted in some people associating the 714-pupil Fulwood Academy with the non-existent “Fulwood Secondary School” mistakenly named in the BBC article.

Although survey work previously undertaken at the Black Bull Lane school had already indicated that there was no RAAC, Mr. Galbraith decided to call in a structural engineer for further checks in order “to be able to fully reassure parents, pupils and staff that the building is safe”, he said in a letter to families.

Most of the school estate originates from 2012 – more than a decade after RAAC was no longer used – but its canteen, main hall and sports hall dated back to 1953, at the very start of the RAAC era.

In a further letter to parents and carers on Tuesday, Mr. Galbraith said:

“I am pleased to tell you that following our survey, I can confirm that there are no issues or concerns with RAAC on the Fulwood site and as such we will be opening to all pupils on Wednesday 6th September.”

He added:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your understanding and also to the many parents who contacted us to offer help and support. I appreciate this was upsetting for many pupils, especially our new Yr7 pupils expected to join on Monday.

“However, considering the press publicity and concerns, I wanted to take care to ensure all our pupils and staff are safe in our school.

“I would like to thank you for the trust you have placed in us and your continued support and commitment to the school and I look forward to welcoming all pupils back to school tomorrow Wednesday.”

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