Middlesbrough's Kader Academy closes after Raac found

Kader Academy described the discovery of Raac as "extremely frustrating"

A Teesside school has closed to almost all its pupils after potentially-dangerous concrete was found in several parts of the building.

Middlesbrough's Kader Academy closed its doors on Monday to all youngsters other than those in its nursery due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

It told parents it was unable to confirm when it would fully reopen.

Middlesbrough Council said it was offering "appropriate support".

The academy said Raac had been found as part of checks carried out by a surveyor, although the nursery area was not affected as it was a newer building.

It was awaiting a full structural report, it added.

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"We fully appreciated that this is an extremely frustrating and unexpected situation for all concerned," headteacher Alison Mitchinson said in a statement.

"At this moment in time we are unsure how the situation may progress.

"We want to carefully go over the recommendations [from the structural report] and safely come up with a plan of action to work towards getting children back into school."

'Case worker'

Ms Mitchinson said school leaders would be speaking to the Department for Education for further guidance.

A spokesperson for the department said: "We are continuing to ramp up the surveys of suspected Raac and where it is identified we are allocating schools with a case worker to help put in mitigations or temporary accommodation as quickly as possible.

"We are incredibly grateful to school and college leaders for their work with us at pace to make sure that where children are affected, disruption is kept to a minimum, and in the even rarer cases where remote learning is required, it is on average for a matter of days not weeks."

Middlesbrough Council's executive member for education and culture, Philippa Storey, said the academy had taken the decision to close "as a precaution".

She added: "We understand how concerning the situation must be for pupils, parents and staff.

"The council is working closely with senior leadership at Kader Academy Trust, which manages the school, and the Department for Education to offer appropriate support."

Raac was used in several types of buildings between the 1950s and 1990s, but the material, a cheaper alternative to standard concrete, has a lifespan of about 30 years.