The Government has failed to say what steps will be taken to assess the scale of a non-RAAC construction issue that came to light after part of a school ceiling fell in.

Four schools in North Tyneside are this week fully or part-closed while “urgent structural checks” are carried out on buildings with 1,700 students affected.

It comes after a construction issue was found when part of the ceiling collapsed at Fordley Primary School in Annitsford, near Cramlington, on December 20 last year.  

The issue is not related to the crumbling Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) found in hundreds of UK schools last summer, the council confirmed.

Labour called on Monday for the Government to clarify the extent of the problems.

However, the Department for Education did not answer our questions about what is being done to assess whether the potential issue impacts other school buildings regionally and nationally.

A spokesperson told the Echo: “Where construction issues in schools arise, we work closely with responsible bodies to ensure that the issue is thoroughly investigated and mitigated, and that all steps are taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning.

“We are in close contact with the responsible body, North Tyneside Council, as they carry out their investigations locally and will support them to minimise any impact to education.”

Newcastle MP and Shadow Schools Minister Catherine McKinnell said earlier this week: “Ministers must urgently get a grip, clarify the extent of these problems on top of RAAC, and explain what action they will take, with clear timescales, to ensure all students can get back into the classroom.

“Yet again the Conservatives are allowing children’s education to be disrupted by worrying safety issues with school buildings, with teachers and parents also facing yet more anxiety and disruption.

“After over a decade of neglect, this crisis is another example of a Conservative government that simply does not prioritise children or their education. By driving economic growth, Labour governments have always invested in our children’s futures, it’ll fall to the next Labour government to do so again.”

Hazelwood Primary in Wideopen, Churchill Community College in Wallsend, and Grasmere Academy in Killingworth, are also facing disruption.

Pupils at Hazlewood are currently all learning from home. At Fordley, face-to-face learning has been restored with years 1, 2 and 3 back in one of the single storey buildings. Years 4 and 5 are being taught at Greenfields Primary while Gosforth Academy are hosting Year 6 pupils – all by their own teachers.

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At Churchill Community College, Year 7, 8 and 9 students are on a rotation for face-to-face learning but primarily learning from home.  Pupils in Years 10, 11, 12, and 13 have remained at school.

Grasmere Academy initially closed the whole school and all pupils were taught remotely. Now it is open  to two-year-olds, nursery, reception and year 6 students in their single storey buildings. The rest of the pupils at the school, which include Year 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, will continue to learn from home.

RAAC caused widespread disruption at the beginning of the academic year with some students learning still learning in temporary classrooms.