Children will be moved to blended learning at a Newport primary school next week after potentially dangerous concrete was found in the building. Small amounts of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) were found in parts of Eveswell Primary during routine maintenance.

RAAC, a building material, was widely used in public sector buildings from the mid-1960s to the 1990s but is now prone to collapse. Newport Council said the concrete found at Eveswell does not pose a risk because of its location and size but work has to be carried out in classrooms affected.

“Pupils are not being moved because of any safety concerns, only to allow investigation work to be carried out within the classroom areas," a Newport Council spokesman said. “We are doing everything possible to minimise any disruption and will use one week of blended learning and the half-term break to progress this work.”

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The council said the area affected was inside and supported with steel whereas buildings considered at high risk are RAAC roof structures exposed to the elements causing the material to weaken. There are no other areas of concern within the school building.

“The school was not considered high risk due to the pitched roof and date of construction,” the council said. “A further detailed survey of the affected area and any proactive work required to ensure the area remains safe on a long-term basis will be carried out straightaway. Pupils are not being moved because of any safety concerns, only to allow investigation work to be carried out within the classroom areas."

RAAC was used mainly in flat roofing, but also for floors and walls, for several decades. Concerns about it have been circulating for years. More than 100 schools closed in England and four schools in Wales were affected after RAAC was identified following sudden failures of RAAC-built structures in England in recent months. The crumbling concrete was also found in wards at Withybush Hospital in Pembrokeshire meaning they’ll be closed until 2024.