Gym halls and offices are being converted into temporary classrooms at Forres Academy in an attempt to reopen the buildings amidst concerns about “high risk” RAAC concrete.
The school has been closed today and yesterday after concerns were raised about reinforced autoclaved concrete.
Moray Council has now confirmed the buildings will remain closed again on Monday with pupils continuing to learn from home.
It is hoped adjustments to the social area, games halls and offices will allow a partial reopening on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
The school is currently at about 74% occupancy, allowing some other classrooms to be used for other purposes.
Further assessments are due to be done before a decision to reopen all of the school on Thursday.
Forres Academy disruption to continue into October holidays
Moray Council hopes reconfiguring some of the rooms in the school will allow teaching for most subjects to resume.
However, some practical subjects will not resume until after the October holidays.
It is not known all the subjects are affected but initial concerns at the school centred on the science and art classrooms.
That area has now been widened to include the drama and music rooms, the whole of the first floor and two smaller areas on the ground floor, all of which have been closed.
Surveys have concluded that new supporting steel beams are needed to connect to existing metalwork in the building.
Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson said council staff and contractors Fairhurst have been faced with “extremely challenging” circumstances.
She said: “I appreciate the uncertainty of what is happening and what the next few weeks will look like is difficult for many of us.
“I’m also a parent at the school and understand the need to plan ahead. I’m reassured that further communication will come from the school next week directly to parents setting out how the next few weeks will shape up.
“In the meantime I’d urge all parents and pupils to have a look at the information sent to them today, which goes a long way to answering a lot of the questions we know they have.”
- Monday: School to remain closed to all pupils while work is done on temporary classrooms.
- Tuesday: S4-S6 and ASN pupils in school. S1-3 continue with remote learning.
- Wednesday: S1-3 and ASN pupils in school. S4-6 on college day or remote learning.
- Thursday: Decision to be made about all pupils returning.
Concrete concerns across Scotland
Concerns about the potentially dangerous concrete at the Forres Academy classrooms were raised as part of a nationwide assessment of the RAAC material.
The concrete was commonly used in construction between the 1950s and 1990s but has a limited shelf life.
It has been linked to the collapse of a school roof in Kent in 2018.
Forres Academy is one of 40 schools in Scotland where the concrete has been found in classrooms.
However, the issue has also extended to NHS buildings and colleges.
RAAC concrete: Buildings affected in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highlands and Islands
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