As the summer holidays come to an end, parents, schoolchildren and teachers have been hit with a 'concrete crisis' – one that has delayed over 100 schools from reopening for the autumn term.
There are fears over a type of concrete used in school and sixth form buildings, known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, or RAAC – it's been described as '80% air' and 'like an Aero bar', and recently found to be at risk of collapse.
The Department for Education has identified over 100 RAAC-affected schools and sixth forms with issues, but a full list will be released when all parents have been informed and 'mitigations are in place'.
Education secretary Gillian Keegan told the BBC that around 10% of schools – around 1,500 institutions – haven't returned their surveys for recognising RAAC, so there may be many more closures to come.
Here's everything that we know so far about RAAC-affected schools and the schools closed due to concrete crisis.
Are schools open today?
Some schools are reopening for the autumn term today, but unfortunately some are closing completely or closing parts of their campuses as the concrete crisis continues.
Which schools are closing due to concrete?
Here’s a list of all schools that have confirmed they’ve been affected by the concrete crisis:
Aston Manor Academy, Birmingham: No students will be onsite until at least 11 September.
Aylesford School, Warwick: Year 7s will be taught on-site from Monday, and year 12s will return from Wednesday, with a significant area of the school, not including the primary area, closed.
Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School, Essex: Closed until 11 September, alternative teaching arrangements have been organised.
Buckton Fields Primary School, Northampton, East Midlands
Clacton County High School, Essex: Closed for all year groups for Monday, with different arrangements according to year group for the rest of the week.
Claydon High School, Suffolk
Corpus Christi Catholic School, London
Crossflatts Primary School, Bradford, West Yorkshire
East Bergholt High School, Colchester, Essex: Reopening may be delayed or partial, updates are expected on Monday.
East Tilbury Primary School, Essex: Partially closed – some buildings will remain open.
Eldwick Primary School, Bradford, West Yorkshire
Farlingaye High School, Suffolk: Reopening may be delayed with some classrooms out of action.
Ferryhill School, County Durham: It’s been confirmed that the start of the school year has been delayed – new starters will start next week and the rest of the school will be taught online for now.
Hadleigh High School, Hadleigh, Suffolk: Expect an update on whether the school will be delaying opening or only partially opening certain areas.
Hockley Primary School, Essex
Honywood School, Colchester, Essex: 22 classrooms are closed with immediate effect, and there is a rota system and online learning schedule expected to be put into place.
Kingsdown School, Southend, Essex
Mistley Norman Church of England Primary School, Essex
Our Lady's Catholic High School, Fulwood, Lancashire: Confirmed to be closed Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 September
Pershore High School, Pershore, Worcestershire
Ravens Academy, Clacton-On-Sea, Essex: RAAC was found in the roof, so the school has confirmed to be closed for 2 days.
Scalby School, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Springfield Primary School, Chelmsford, Essex
St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Harlow Green, Tyne and Wear
St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, Easington, County Durham: Re-opening for term has been delayed until Tuesday 5 September
St Bernard's School, Bolton, Greater Manchester
St Clere's School, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex: Partial closure, with years 7, 11 and 12 being prioritised for face-to-face learning.
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Ascot, Berkshire
St James Catholic School, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear
St John Bosco Catholic Primary School, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear: Closure confirmed for Tuesday 5 September, with further info coming.
St Leonard's School, Durham, County Durham: RAAC was found in the panels used in the school’s construction, so will not reopen for the first week of term.
St Mary Magdalene Academy, London
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Darlington, County Durham: Not due to reopen until at least 11 September.
St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive, Eltham, London
St William of York Catholic Primary School, Bolton, York: Temporary support buildings are being put in place so as many pupils as possible can return on Monday 11 September.
Thameside Primary School, Essex: Partially closed, reopening delayed until Monday 11 September.
The Appleton School, Benfleet, Essex: Three areas have been closed, with three year groups not expected to return this week.
The Billericay School, Billericay, Essex: Some year groups will be learning onsite, while others will be learning online.
The Bromfords School, Wickford, Essex
The Gilberd School, Colchester, Essex: Years 8, 10 and 11 will return on Monday 11 September and year 7 will return on Tuesday 12 September.
Thurstable School, Essex: Check the school’s website for details of a phased reopening.
Waddesdon Church of England School, Buckinghamshire
Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy, Leicester: Closed on Monday 4 September
Wood Green Academy, Wednesbury, West Midlands: Disruption to start of term possible, the school is carrying out investigations.
Woodville Primary School, Chelmsford, Essex: Closed until Monday 11 September
These schools are also reportedly affected:
Abbey Lane Primary School, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Altrincham College, Timperley, Manchester
Arthur Bugler Primary School, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex
Baynards Primary School, Essex
Canon Slade School, Bolton, Greater Manchester
Carmel College, Darlington: The kitchen and library has been temporarily vacated until further investigations have taken place.
Carnarvon Primary School, Bingham, Nottinghamshire
Cherry Tree Academy, Colchester, Essex
Cleeve Park School, Sidcup, London
Cockermouth School, Cumbria: RAAC concrete was found in four corridors, the library and the sports hall, so the school will be closed Monday 4 and reopen Tuesday 5 September.
Cranbourne, Basingstoke, Hampshire: The school will open as normal, but according to Hampshire County Council temporary works have been undertaken to one section of the building to make sure it is safe, while another area has been out of use since the beginning of the year.
Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery, Donnington, Shropshire: RAAC was found, but the school will remain open after safety and temporary measures have been implemented.
Fulwood Academy, Fulwood, Preston
Greenway Junior School, Horsham, West Sussex
Holy Trinity Catholic Academy, Newark, Nottinghamshire
Jerounds Primary School, Harlow, Essex
Katherines Primary Academy, Harlow, Essex: Main building is reportedly closed.
Mayflower Primary School, Leicester: Has buildings affected by RAAC that need to be taken out of use.
Myton School, Warwick
Northampton International Academy, Northampton, West Midlands
Outwoods Primary School, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Reportedly affected by RAAC, but will remain open after precautionary measures had been introduced.
Parks Primary School, Leicester
Roding Valley High School, Loughton, Essex
Sale Grammar School, Sale, Manchester
St Andrews Junior School, Hatfield Peverel, Essex: Reportedly closed until mid-September.
The school is reportedly closed until at least mid-September.
St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School, Swanley, Kent
St Benet's Catholic Primary School, Ouston, County Durham
St Gregory's Catholic Science College, Harrow, London
Stanway Fiveways Primary School, Colchester, Essex
Tendring Technology College, Essex
The Coopers Company and Coborn School, Upminster, London
The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls, Acton, London
The Link School, Beddington, London
The Ramsey Academy, Halstead, Essex
Thomas Lord Audley School, Colchester, Essex
White Hall Academy, Clacton, Essex
Winter Gardens Academy, Canvey Island, Essex
Wyburns Primary School, Rayleigh, Essex
What other buildings could be affected by the concrete crisis?
Labour MP Meg Hillier, chair of the public accounts committee, has spoken on Times Radio about the possibility that other buildings might be affected by RAAC – including hospital and court buildings.
'In both schools and hospitals, there hasn’t been enough money going into buildings and equipment,' she said, calling for an urgent audit of government handlings of these concerns.