Any North East schools built with crumble-risk concrete will be told to close by the government just one week before schools re-open.

More than 100 schools with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) are now being warned by the Deparment of Education (DoE) that precautionary measures need to be put in place.

This week 104 different establishments have been contacted to ask them to vacate the spaces that are known to have RAAC.

Any schools which have been affected will be contacted by the DoE and supported.

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Some parents will be contacted by their schools if pupils are going to be taught in a different location while work is carried out.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said: "Nothing is more important than making sure children and staff are safe in schools and colleges, which is why we are acting on new evidence about RAAC now, ahead of the start of term.  

"We must take a cautious approach because that is the right thing to do for both pupils and staff.  

"The plan we have set out will minimise the impact on pupil learning and provide schools with the right funding and support they need to put mitigations in place to deal with RAAC."

The Department of Education has said that 'short-term disruption is inevitable' but that all measures to help will be taken.

Bridget Phillipson, the shadow Secretary of State for Education, said: "This is an absolutely staggering display of Tory incompetence as they start a fresh term by failing our children again. 

"Dozens of England’s schools are at risk of collapse with just days before children crowd their corridors. Ministers have been content to let this chaos continue for far too long. 

"It's long past time the Secretary of State got a grip on her department.

"Labour knows that children can’t get a first class education in a second class school, it’s incredible that the Tories don’t.

"The next Labour government will ensure schools are fit for purpose and children are safe."

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RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete commonly used in construction between the 1960s and 1980s.

Professional advice from technical experts on RAAC has evolved over time and the issue of managing its risks to ensure the safe delivery of services across all sectors has spanned successive governments since 1994.   

The DoE has put together an explainer for parents who might be contacted about the issue, you can read it here.