Schools asked to check cladding after Grenfell fire

Following the Grenfell fire, the government has contacted schools, further education colleges and universities and asked them to carry out building checks to identify those that might require further investigation.

These checks have included asking those responsible for the safety of school buildings to identify where external cladding has been used on buildings and its type. In line with a cross–government approach, any buildings with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding above 18 metres will have samples of that cladding sent for testing to see what type it is.

As of today, 13 July, cladding from two school buildings has been tested by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the body carrying out checks on all buildings on behalf of the government.

Results of these two tests confirmed that the cladding was not of limited combustibility and the affected schools have been informed.

The advice endorsed by the National Fire Chiefs’ Council makes clear that the fire risks posed by those buildings with ACM cladding, which is not of limited combustibility can be mitigated by other actions and additional checks.

As a precautionary step, both schools have already been inspected by the Fire and Rescue Service who confirmed appropriate measures are in place to mitigate the risks from potential fire, and the buildings have now been declared safe for continued use.

The department is working closely with the schools concerned to support them and ensure all the necessary steps are taken to ensure the continued safety of the buildings.

As part of this each school has a named contact within the department to guide them through this next steps.