The Welsh Government will pay to repair a Newport primary school with collapse-risk concrete, it has been announced.
A total of £2.56m has been made available to cover the cost of remedial works to Eveswell Primary School along with the four other affected schools across Wales.
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), which is a lightweight building material used from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s, is now assessed to be at risk of collapse.
The number of schools in Wales identified as having Raac is low compared to the 230 in England and 39 in Scotland.
Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles said the fact that so few cases of Welsh schools with Raac had been identified was “testament to the Welsh Government’s investment in schools over many years”.
“I want to make sure every learner can fulfil their potential, and their education is delivered in environments that are fit for purpose,” he added.
The four other affected schools in Wales are Ysgol David Hughes and Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi on Ynys Mon, Ysgol Maes Owen in Conwy, Ysgol Trefnant in Denbighshire and Eveswell Primary in Newport.
Money to repair the 234 education settings in England at risk of collapse will come from the Department for Education’s existing capital budget, it is understood.
How Raac was discovered at Eveswell Primary School
A routine maintenance check at Eveswell Primary School on Chepstow Road last year found Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in some parts of the building.
Newport City Council say that the investigative work was carried out immediately.
Read more: RAAC concrete found at Eveswell Primary School, Newport
Independent technical specialists confirmed that a small amount of Raac was present, but did not pose a risk "because of its location and size".
The council said the specific area was located internally and supported with steel, whereas buildings considered at high-risk are those with Raac in the roof or other areas exposed to the elements, such as rain, which could cause the material to weaken.
There were no other areas of concern within the school, and the school was not considered high risk due to the pitched roof and date of construction.
At the time, youngsters were moved to a blended learning model while further work was carried out, and the council confirmed that a further detailed survey of the affected area and any proactive work required to ensure the area remains safe on a long-term basis would be carried out.
A spokesperson for the school said: “Pupils are not being moved because of any safety concerns, only to allow investigation work to be carried out within the classroom areas.
“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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