Anglesey schools confirm phased reopening after discovery of RAAC

The two Anglesey schools which were closed last week following the discovery of the dangerous concrete product RAAC, are continuing a phased reopening.

The council confirmed last Wednesday that Year 7, 11 and 12 pupils could return to Ysgol David Hughes in Menai Bridge.

From tomorrow (11 September), Year 8, 10 and 13 will also return and online learning will be provided for Year 9 pupils.

In a letter to parents, the school’s Headteacher Mr Emir Williams said: “As a result of receiving the engineers report and guidance from the local authority, we will be able to open more areas of the building, including the canteen.

“Other areas at present, continue to be unavailable to us until further work is completed.

“As things currently stand. It’s possible for the short period of time. We won’t be able to accommodate all pupils in the building. This means the one year group will have online lessons in rotation and we will confirm the details this week.

The other school affected, Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi, which remained closed last week, will partially re-open to two year groups at a time.

On Monday, the school building will re-open to years 12 and 13 for individual lessons. Additional remedial work is currently being undertaken at the school to allow more pupils to return as soon as possible.

Positive

In a message to parents, Headteacher. Adam Rhys Williams said: “I am determined to make this experience as positive as it can be for the children. I have an incredibly strong team at Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi and I want you to know that everyone will be doing everything they can to not only make this work but for the children to continue to receive high quality education throughout this time.”

A statement from the local authority confirmed it was made aware of potential issues with RAAC since they were raised via the Local Government Association in 2019/20.

It confirmed that buildings affected by RAAC have received specialist annual inspections by external surveyors and all inspections had concluded that there were no immediate risks or concerns.

RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete and was used in the construction of schools, colleges, and other buildings from the 1950s until the mid-1990s.

The Health and Safety Executive has warned that RAAC is now beyond its lifespan and could collapse without notice.

Its presence has been confirmed in a range of public sector properties across the UK including in over 100 schools in England.

On Friday Education Minister Jeremy Miles revealed RACC has not been discovered in any other schools in Wales to date.