Bedford Modern School puts up marquees over crumbly concrete fears

Bedford Modern School said it had several areas that were built in the 1970s using inferior quality concrete

An independent school said it was using marquees due to the site having concrete that could be unsafe.

Bedford Modern School has closed some rooms following an "urgent government directive" over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

The school said it had also "repurposed certain areas as classrooms" while it investigated a permanent solution.

Bedford Borough Council said it wanted independent schools to get "the same offer of assistance and support".

Dozens of schools in England have been fully or partially closed at the start of the new academic year due to potentially unsafe RAAC.

It is a lightweight material that was used in construction between the 1950s and the mid 1990s.

Acting head, Andrew Whomsley, said it had "reinstated marquees around the site to increase space" as it did during the pandemic

Acting head of the school, Andrew Whomsley, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the site on Manton Lane had several areas that were built in the 1970s using the material.

He said the school had "no choice but to close those areas concerned with immediate effect".

"As a temporary measure we have reinstated marquees around the site to increase space, just as we did during the pandemic, and we have repurposed certain areas as classrooms while we investigate a more permanent solution," he said.

"We had already planned for structural surveys to take place and were adopting a staged risk approach to the task."

He added that staff were "working around the clock" to ensure that arrangements were in place for when students returned.

"Whilst the safety of students and staff must be a priority, and despite this challenging situation, we will continue to provide an excellent education for all," he said.

Bedford Borough Council said it had asked independent schools for the same information it requested from academies.

It said it wanted to make sure all schools, especially all buildings built before 1995, would get an "intrusive survey".