Children from Sunderland school forced to close over RAAC fears return to see reconstruction work taking place

Children from St John Bosco Primary School returned to their school to check on reconstruction work after it was closed in September when the Government identified the presence of RAAC - reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

There was great disruption across the country at the end of the summer (2023) when the Government announced any school buildings containing RAAC would have to temporarily close over structural safety concerns.

With the new academic year about to begin, it left many schools across the country scrambling to find alternative provision for their children, including St John Bosco Primary School in Sunderland.

The school is part of the Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, with nursery children and reception pupils now being taught at the Trust's sister school, English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School, and Year 1 to Year 6 pupils based at Gabriel House which is part of the Sunderland Sisters of Mercy convent.

With pupils and teachers keen to get back to their home school, children became health and safety inspectors for the day as they checked-in on the progress of the emergency remediation work taking place.

Headteacher Lianne Peart said: “It was brilliant and the children were really excited to be visiting their school.

“As we were going around, I asked them what they were really missing about being at St John Bosco and one of the little girls said: ‘having an assembly and playing on our field’.”

The headteacher and children donned their hard hats and high visibility jackets as they got shown around their home school site by Terry Baines from Baines Construction NE Ltd, who also gave them an insight into a day in the life of the staff on site.

Ms Peart added: “The children said the school looked very different. When everything is complete and we are all back in school it will be like we’ve never been away.”

A date has not yet been set for when staff and children can return back to St John Bosco.