Norfolk schools: 15 buildings need urgent ceiling repairs

Fifteen schools across a county need urgent repairs after a collapsed ceiling prompted immediate safety inspections.

Norfolk County Council has confirmed it has finished checking 60 schools after a ceiling partially collapsed at Fakenham Junior in Queens Road, Fakenham, four weeks ago.

The council has already warned the ceiling works would put pressure on its budget and said it would write to the Department for Education about the issue.

“The safety of children and staff always has to come first, so it was important that we carried out these checks as soon as this issue came to light,” said Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children services.

“We will now be working to make repairs at the 15 schools where they are needed and will get these done as quickly as we can, while minimising any disruption to children’s learning.”

Ms Carpenter added: “We’ve already notified the Department for Education of this issue, but we will now be writing to them with details of our findings and highlighting the additional financial pressure this will place on our school capital budget.”

She said she wanted to thank school leaders and staff for their “huge efforts” during the issues.

The authority said it was still working out the cost of the work needed.

Inspections were launched after a ceiling – made out of lath and plaster – partly collapsed at a Synergy Education Trust academy.

Classrooms at the trust’s Fakenham Junior and Reepham Primary were closed to pupils at the start of last month.

A small number of schools still required follow-up checks where specialist equipment was needed to reach inaccessible areas.

The council said there were no concerns about the material, but ceilings may be at risk if the lath and plaster – often found above suspended ceilings – were damaged.

It said 23 schools where it knew the material was present were initially inspected – before surveys were rolled out to another 37 schools, which could have had the material due to their age.

The council said more checks might be needed in the future due to the issue.

It has also notified academies – which are responsible for their own maintenance – of the problem.

The 15 schools, that would remain open, but needed urgent work were:

• Avenue Junior
• The Parkside School
• Freethorpe Community Primary and Nursery
• Bacton Primary
• Brooke VC CE Primary
• Hainford VC Primary
• Woodton Primary (one room available)
• Horning Community Primary
• Ludham Primary and Nursery
• Terrington St John Primary
• Tilney St Lawrence Community Primary
• Ellingham CE VC Primary
• Walpole Highway Primary
• St George’s Primary and Nursery
• Hevingham Primary