Abingdon school forced to close due to Raac given all clear

Parents have been told Abingdon's John Mason School will open fully from Monday

A school forced to close because of concerns over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) has been given the all clear.

John Mason School, in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, will reopen on Monday after partially closing for two weeks.

It previously said there was no unsafe concrete at the school, before a 2019 survey suggested there could be.

Headteacher Alastair West thanked parents and students for their "patience and support".

He said: "It is extremely frustrating that we have had to wait so long for confirmation, however we can now look forward to a full return fact-to-face education."

On 1 September, the Department for Education (DfE) advised schools, colleges and nurseries in England to vacate areas known to contain Raac, unless suitable mitigating measures had been put in place.

The trust that runs the academy school wrote to parents on 5 September saying it believed a recent survey had revealed no Raac but that it had discovered its presence that day.

The letter said the trust was in "urgent contact" with the government and was "awaiting their guidance".

Abingdon Learning Trust chief executive Fiona Hammans said a visit on Friday from a DfE-commissioned surveyor had confirmed no Raac on site.

In a letter to parents she said: "Having to close a school is a deeply difficult decision but there is no option if there is any chance that students or staff may be put at risk.

"I regret the disruption to education that this has caused at the start of a new school year and thank you all for your understanding and flexibility."