Raac school in Warwick plans for return of full student body

Students are receiving a mix of face-to-face and remote learning

A school has announced plans to re-open to all students after partially closing due to the presence of dangerous concrete in one of its buildings.

Myton School in Warwick is one of scores of English schools found to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), which poses a safety risk as it is prone to crumbling.

After weeks of disruption, normal teaching is provisionally set to resume at Myton on 17 October.

"New building units" allow the change.

In September, a structural engineer confirmed Raac panelling in the first floor of the Lower School building, the site of maths, languages, art and drama classrooms, plus a medical room and the canteen.

As a result, the secondary school delayed the start of term by three days.

Currently, all year groups are in school apart from one, with the absent year rotating on a weekly basis and learning remotely. The system is set to continue next week, with all students then in school for face-to-face learning the week after.

Ahead of 17 October, returning students were warned to expect "lots of disruptive scheduling" as 30 rooms had been lost due to the presence of Raac.

But according to a letter to parents from headteacher Andy Perry, an initial 13 building units would be installed from Saturday, becoming the maths faculty. New toilets were also being provided.

Mr Perry said the new units would arrive in two batches

From 9 October, the north playground will be shut to make way for the delivery of a further 11 units, plus toilets, on 14 and 15 October.

These were expected to be ready to be used after half-term on 6 November, Mr Perry said.

He explained: "Getting these units on site in October has been a bit of a battle it has to be said, but rest assured, we are already battling to get rid of them again and into our modular village."

Members of the public are urged to avoid Myton Road on Saturday and Sunday to make way for construction work and the delivery of the units.

Myton School's two main buildings were built in the middle of the last century and, judged "old and in disrepair", Mr Perry applied for extra cash from the government's school rebuilding programme.

But a letter from the Department of Education, seen by BBC News, rejected the application because other schools were in worse condition.