Potentially dangerous roof on a Harborough school is set to be replaced

A Harborough school is set to have its roof replaced after it was found to contain potentially dangerous concrete.

St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of some 200 schools across the country affected by Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) - a lightweight form of concrete which is weaker than normal and could be prone to collapsing.

Concerns have been raised about the long-term durability of the material and the Department for Education instructed last year that any affected space should be vacated.

Since then, children at the school on Coventry Road have been forced to eat lunch in their classrooms and kitchen staff have cooked food offsite before transporting it to the school, as the school hall and kitchen were closed due to concerns about the concrete.

But a planning application to build a new roof across the affected areas has now been approved by Harborough District Council.

It comes after the Department of Education agreed to carry out work on the affected school hall, kitchen and storage spaces.

Earlier this year headteacher Bernadette Dabbs welcomed news funding would be provided to install a new roof.

She said: “This is wonderful news and represents an investment in the region of £500,000 in the school. Obviously, this is a large and complex project, but we are hopeful the work will be completed by the beginning of the new school year in August.

“The magnificent staff at St Joseph’s will continue to do all they need to ensure the children’s care.”