Missed university spots, low grades and mental health woes are among the chief concerns for pupils at the Durham school reported to be the most affected by the RAAC crisis. 

St Leonard's Catholic School in Durham city was one of only two secondary schools in England that were required to close completely this September, following the crumbling concrete scandal. 

17 weeks after the school was initially shut down, disruption persists, with students being taught in temporary classrooms and at different sites across the city. 

Following a report that suggested disruption this year had been extreme enough to justify a 10 per cent bump to exam marks this summer, the school and local MP Mary Kelly Foy have again urged the Department of Education and Ofqual to make special considerations. 

The Northern Echo: Some students are being taught in pop up classrooms in the school's sports hall.

Students have spoken about how their capacity to learn, opportunity for achievement, and mental well-being have been impacted.

Year 13 student and head boy James Smith urged the Government to "work with exam boards and allow for the continued disruption we are facing."

He said: "The lack of suitable space in the school is really starting to have an impact. There is no space to do independent study as our 6th form common room and library are being used by other year groups.

"There is such a demand for space that pupils are searching for classrooms in their free periods, some students are going to local cafes to study or having to go home and then return for later lessons.

"None of this is an effective way of learning and is very concerning when we are only 5 months away from our exams."

Read more about the situation at St Leonard's here: 

The Northern Echo: Pupils at St Leonard's in Durham have been unable to return to school properly because of RAAC

Nicola Cook's son is in Year 13. Previously, he has been predicted A*A*A grades, but these have now fallen to A*BB. 

She said: "Despite the school writing to all exam boards and admissions officers of all universities (as per the DfE initial recommendations), he has not received any contextualised offers from Russell Group unis. He needs AAA to take up his place at University of York."

Her son, who preferred to remain anonymous, has been diagnosed with autism and specifically moved to St Leonard's for the SEND provisions. The course at York had been chosen to meet his intellectual needs, and will help him become "independent and self-sufficient." 

Nicola added: "We really don’t have a plan B for him. Morale is at an all-time low, the children feel abandoned by the government, and bitter about the unfairness of the situation.

"My child is exceptionally worried about his grades and has said he has mentally kissed his A*s goodbye."

Staff and pupils at St Leonard's School have told researchers of the "extremely challenging" and "chaotic" conditions they have had to cope with as a result of the discovery of RAAC at their school.

They spoke of "tired", "exhausted" and "depressed" teachers, students being "unprepared" for exams and fearing for their mental health.

One student, in Year 7, said: "Teachers are tired and exhausted. It is so difficult to teach in sports halls where teachers have to talk loudly but still, we cannot hear them clearly in the back row. The halls echo so much and teachers are disrupted by noise from other rooms."

Another, in A level year, said: "My school experience is not very good since this term has started. I don’t feel that I am learning anything in the lessons because classrooms are so noisy and groups are so big that we don’t get a chance to stop the teacher and ask questions.

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"These changes have impacted my mental health, and I don’t feel like coming to school. There is no space for us to read in our own time because the library is used as classrooms. I have missed many days and my attendance has been very low this term. I don’t feel like coming to school because it is a noisy and chaotic place.

The Joint Council for Qualifications, whose members include the eight largest qualification bodies, said it was helping schools affected by RAAC.

A spokesperson said: “We encourage any affected school or college who hasn’t done so to get in touch with their exam boards for support on a case-by-case basis.”