William Eichler 19 September 2024

Norfolk schools inspected due to ceiling collapse fears

Norfolk schools inspected due to ceiling collapse fears  image
Image: Jun Huang / Shutterstock.com.

Norfolk County Council has commissioned inspections of 37 more school buildings over concerns the ceilings could be at risk of collapse.

In total, 60 Norfolk schools are being checked after the multi-academy trust, Synergy Education Trust, warned the council the lath and plaster ceilings could collapse if damaged.

The checks prompted the closure of Avenue Junior School for three days last week. One class at Parkside School was also closed on Tuesday.

Cllr Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for Children's Services at Norfolk County Council, said: ‘The safety of children and staff is always our first priority, so we are now checking any school where we think there could be this material, just to be on the safe side.

‘We know that the material alone doesn't pose a risk, but we want to check for signs of any damage, as we know these ceilings can collapse if there are showing signs of wear and tear.’

Cllr Carpenter added: ‘If we find any damage that requires urgent repairs then we will work with schools to minimise disruption and support their contingency planning.’

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