Staffordshire County Council has confirmed it still has to investigate dozens of schools for a form of crumbling concrete which has sparked safety concerns nationwide.
The local authority has previously said it had not been advised by the Department for Education that any schools in Staffordshire are included on the government’s list of 104 across the country that will have to close due to being built from the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
However, the authority has now confirmed it could be weeks before there’s a true picture of how many schools are affected.
Cllr Jonathan Price, the council’s cabinet member for education, said:
“The safety of pupils and school staff is our top priority, and we have already carried out an initial assessment on the 126 local authority maintained schools in Staffordshire.
“Some schools require a further assessment, which is already under way and will be completed shortly.”
Cllr Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council
However, he explained the majority of schools in the county are academy-run and the county council is not responsible for these buildings – but it has offered advice and support.
In total there are 404 schools in Staffordshire, with just 126 of these run by the authority.
Cllr Price said:
“Since being notified of the national concerns regarding RAAC we have completed a rapid desk top review of all our 126 maintained schools.
“We have 76 schools needing further investigation, and they will all be surveyed as quickly as possible in the coming weeks.”
Cllr Jonathan Price
The council said it is not currently naming the schools, and declined to give a breakdown of how many schools in each district require further examination.
