A PRIMARY school in Kinmel Bay will close to pupils for the rest of the week after Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was found.
The crumbling concrete has been found in parts of the building at Ysgol Maes Owen.
Parents and guardians have been sent letters saying due to the discovery, the school building will close for the rest of the week whilst further investigations are carried out. The school has also shared the letter on Twitter.
The letter dated Wednesday, September 13 from headteacher Mrs C Foulkes, which the Journal has seen, said: "All schools in Wales are part of a process to check whether RAAC is present. RAAC is a type of concrete that is used in buildings. As part of this checking process, we have learnt that RAAC has been used in some parts of our school building. Whilst the risk at this point is very low, following Welsh Government advice, the local authority has taken the careful decision to close the school building for the rest of the week initially whilst further investigations are carried out. I must stress once more that this is a precautionary measure until the checks have been carried out in full.
"I would personally like to thank the local authority for moving so swiftly with this to ensure that our whole Ysgol Maes Owen school community are kept safe and fully informed at all times."
Year 3 and Resource Base Learners will be sent home with a work pack for the next two days. Years 4, 5 and 6 will be able access work via their Google Classroom.
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"We will continue to keep you informed as soon as we know more over the next few days. Apologies, of course, for any inconvenience caused."
Please see the very important letter emailed to all families this afternoon. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience that I am sure this may cause. pic.twitter.com/tp2XvX5gls
— Ysgol Maes Owen (@MaesOwen) September 13, 2023
A spokesperson from Conwy County Borough Council said: "The structural engineers appointed to inspect our schools have confirmed RAAC is present in Ysgol Maes Owen.
"Early indications are that the material is in good condition, however we are taking a cautious approach and will close the school for the rest of week as a precautionary measure whilst the structural engineers carry out further investigations."
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