More schools could be told they need to immediately shut classrooms because they are fitted with a concrete that could suddenly collapse, the schools minister has admitted.
Nick Gibb said on Friday that a collapse over the summer of a beam that had been considered safe sparked an urgent rethink on whether buildings with the aerated concrete could remain open.
Though not confirmed, it is estimated that around 24 schools in England have been told to close entirely because of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), the PA news agency understands.
The Department for Education (DfE) sought to dampen some of the anger by altering guidance to confirm that the cost of temporary and emergency accommodation will in fact be covered by the Government.
Some 104 schools and colleges have been told by the DfE to partially or fully close buildings just as pupils prepare to return after the summer holidays.
