 A trust which runs a school forced to close over safety fears has said the safety of pupils and staff is its 'first priority'. The Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester is one of 104 schools notified by the Department for Education (DfE) that one or more of its buildings are unsafe. These potentially dangerous buildings were constructed from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels, which has a lifespan of around 30 years and is weaker than normal concrete. Willowbrook Mead will be closed today (September 1) and on Monday, September 4 due to the risk that parts of the school building could be prone to collapse. The main office and the key stage two block at the school have been closed so safety measures can be installed. Pupils are due to be taught online while the building is off limits. The school is run by The Mead Educational Trust (TMET), and its CEO Sarah Ridley said: 'Of course the safety of pupils and staff is our first priority so we are taking every precaution so that no one is put at risk. 'We know this news will be concerning for everyone. 'We are doing everything we can to keep the inconvenience for families to an absolute minimum.' The DfE also told the school that other parts of the site are unaffected by RAAC, and can stay open. Only a handful of schools affected by the closures have so far been named, amid demands from parents and unions for the full list of affected schools to be published. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE : How will I know if my child's school is shutting because of dangerous concrete? MORE : Rob Rinder absolutely skewers Nick Gibb as schools minister crumbles under pressure of live TV grilling MORE : From WhatsApp groups to school gate bitching: A realistic back-to-school survival guide for parents){kind=link}
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The trust that runs a school forced to close amid fears of crumbling RAAC concrete has said the safety of pupils and staff is its ‘first priority’.
The Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester is one of 104 schools notified by the Department for Education (DfE) that one or more of its buildings are unsafe.
These potentially dangerous buildings were constructed from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels, which has a lifespan of around 30 years and is weaker than normal concrete.
Willowbrook Mead will be closed today (September 1) and on Monday, September 4 due to the risk that parts of the school building could be prone to collapse.