Another Guildford School Affected by RAAC

Published on: 3 Nov, 2023
Updated on: 5 Nov, 2023

Pewley Down Infant School from its website

By Martin Giles

Another Guildford School has discovered RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) in its buildings.

Please see correction below.

Holy Trinity Pewley Down Infant School announced to parents this week that it would have to close.

Parents were told by a school spokesperson: “Following the national discovery of RAAC in schools, the school was identified by the DfE [Department of Education] for a thorough survey at the infant site. At 3.00pm this afternoon, we received the survey results which show that there is indeed RAAC within the building and we have been advised to prohibit access to all six classrooms. We are asking urgent clarification about what needs to happen next to ensure the buildings are made safe.

“As always, health and safety come first and, despite the frustration of having to close Pewley Down, we would rather be cautious.”

One family, who did not give their name, wrote to The Dragon: “Holy Trinity Pewley Down infant school has been completely closed since Tuesday. No children attended. On Wednesday, reception children (60) and Y2 children (60) joined the Holy Trinity Junior site, albeit with no hot school lunch provision, nor access to before or after school provision or clubs.

“From Monday next week, the Y6 children (180) have been asked to undertake an unplanned ‘field trip’ walking around town and to the Guildford County School, to accommodate the Y1 children so they no longer have to use the Trinity Centre. Each class will go on a separate day freeing up one classroom per day.

“There is no information on the length of these arrangements or what the long-term plan is for accommodating the additional 180 children at the junior site, without compromising the education quality or opportunities for everyone.”

This has been corrected from an earlier version of this story. The quote from Wendy Sleight should read as follows. We apologise for our error.

Wendy Sleight, head of communications at Guildford Diocese, said: “The school continues to work closely with the Department of Education and the Diocese of Guildford to look at the different measures that can be taken to make the Pewley school buildings safe to re-open.

“The safety of our pupils and staff remains our first priority and the buildings will remain closed until we are confident that they are safe for the children to return.

“In the meantime, we have put in place arrangements for face-to-face teaching for the Pewley infant children by accommodating them at our Holy Trinity junior school site and we are grateful for the support of parents and staff on adjusting to these new arrangements so quickly.

“We hope to be able to communicate more news about the timescales for re-opening the Pewley site once a fully structural survey has been completed.”