School closes amid 'urgent concerns' over ceilings

Ceilings in several rooms were discovered to have safety concerns on Tuesday evening resulting in the short-notice closure

A junior school has been closed after a building surveyor identified "urgent concerns" with some of its ceilings.

The survey at Avenue Junior School in Norwich was taken on Tuesday night following concerns raised about other Norfolk schools of a similar age.

Mike Hooper, the head of the school, said the decision to close was "to ensure everyone’s safety" and the school was working closely with Norfolk County Council.

Norfolk County Council said the school was closed "as a precaution" and it was liaising with the school to minimise the impact on the pupils "as much as possible".

In an update to parents, the school said five classrooms and three other learning spaces needed urgent repairs before they could be safely used.

Some other areas, while not at immediate risk, will need scheduled repairs during the school holidays.

In a letter to parents, Mr Hooper said the school was working with the council to explore the use of temporary buildings or repurposing other spaces.

However, for this week the school will remain closed with remote learning in place from tomorrow.

"During the inspection, urgent concerns were identified relating to the ceilings in several rooms," he said.

"Consequently, there now needs to be a thorough investigation of ceilings across the building."

He said he understood "the inconvenience this closure may cause" but could not guarantee how many classes or year groups would be able to return right away.

The school, which takes children from Year 3 to Year 6, will offer packed lunches for children entitled to free school meals and said it aimed to share a plan for next week, by Friday afternoon.

A county council spokesperson said it had called in surveyors following the issues detected in Synergy Multi-Academy Trust's schools.

She said: "This has identified some concerns about ceilings at Avenue Junior School and the school has therefore closed today as a precaution.

"We are working with the school urgently today to make plans for the children’s learning, so that we can minimise the impact as much as possible.

"We apologise for any inconvenience, but the safety of the children has to be our priority.”

Fakenham Junior School and Reepham Primary both had to close some classes at short notice earlier this month over structural problems with their ceilings.

Penny Carpenter, the cabinet member for children’s services, said the issue related to ceilings made from lath and plaster, which was used from the early 18th century, through to the early to mid 20th century.

"We have commissioned these precautionary inspections at maintained schools built during that time where we believe the material is present.

"We have surveyors visiting 27 schools, including Avenue Junior, and will ensure parents at those schools are kept informed on any action that needs to be taken."