Sixty schools being checked for risky ceilings

Lath and plaster was used to cover walls and ceilings in old properties

Ceilings at 60 schools are now being checked over fears they could collapse.

A school in Norwich was closed for three days as a precaution, with 23 schools initially deemed at risk.

Norfolk County Council say a further 37 schools have been highlighted as having lath and plaster ceilings, which pose a danger if damaged.

The authority said the material alone was "not a cause for concern" and its approach was necessary to "assure ourselves of children's safety".

Penny Carpenter, a Conservative councillor and the council's cabinet member for children's services, said: "If we find any damage that requires urgent repairs then we will work with schools to minimise disruption and support their contingency planning.

"This is a similar approach to the one we used when RAAC issues were identified nationally.

"We're sorry for any inconvenience it might cause to children, parents and schools but we believe it is the right approach to assure ourselves of children's safety."

Avenue Junior School in Norwich was closed for three days last week while checks were carried out

Lath and plaster was a building method used to cover walls and ceilings in old properties.

It was largely replaced by plasterboard.

The council said it began inspecting schools at the start of term after it was notified by Synergy Multi Academy Trust, which sponsors 15 local schools, about issues with the material.

Last week Avenue Junior School in Norwich, built in 1893, was closed for three days while checks took place.

The school reopened on Monday.

One class at Parkside School in Norfolk was also closed on Tuesday.

The council said although it regularly inspects school buildings, "damage can be difficult to spot on a visual inspection in suspended ceilings", so further urgent surveys were requested.

A statement added: "The council has risk assessed all of the schools it is responsible for maintaining.

"Academy trusts are responsible for the maintenance of their buildings, so the council has also written to academy trusts recommending that they check their ceilings."

The council said it had notified the Department for Education (DfE) about the issue.