By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottingham schools run by academies and multi-academy trusts are expected to get the results of checks for failing concrete as early as next week.
Recent assessments have shown some school buildings with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) are at risk of collapse as the material deteriorates.
It prompted the Department for Education to direct some schools to partially or fully close while work is done to make them safer.
Local councils typically hold central building records for schools which they control, but since 2000 many schools are run by independent academy trusts, meaning there is no central contact point for many education settings.
RAAC was typically used in construction projects from the 1950s to the mid-1990s, but it is susceptible to failure as it deteriorates over time, with a life expectancy of little more than 30 years.
According to the city council, it deployed a project manager to assess any concerns at council-run school sites, which resulted resulted in three school visits taking place in the first week of term.
While no schools in Nottingham have been found to contain RAAC following initial surveys, more checks have been taking place.
Two-thirds of schools in the city are now operated by academies, not the council, and survey results for these schools are expected next week.
During a meeting of Full Council on September 11 Cllr Andrew Rule, of the Nottingham Independents and Independent Group, said: “Can the portfolio holder assure the chamber any records relating to schools run by the council pre-academisation, still held by the council, will be interrogated to further ensure any presence of RAAC is identified in schools no longer under council control?”
Cllr Cheryl Barnard (Lab), whose portfolio covers schools, said: “All academies have been asked for assurance and we will get sight of their surveys next week.
“We handed those schools over and those schools are responsible for those surveys and we are asking the Government to release that information next week.
“We were assured this morning that is going to be the case.”
She also said a programme of inspections will be carried out by certified chartered surveyors, and this has been commissioned to run over the Autumn.
She added: “We believe this is a sensible and proportionate measure to provide assurance.
“We are also requesting the DfE assure us all academy trusts operating schools in the city have got guidance to ensure city children are not at risk attending non-local authority maintained schools.”
So far two schools in Nottinghamshire have been found to have potential issues or require additional surveys.
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School, in Newark, has been named in a Government list of more than 100 sites.
Carnarvon Primary School in Bingham is currently being monitored but RAAC has not been confirmed.
