A primary school has been forced to move Year 5 and 6 students to a different site after crumbling concrete was found in two if its classrooms.

St Mary Magdalene and St Stephen’s CE Primary School in Rowington Close, Maida Vale, notified parents about the issues relating to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) on Friday (September 1).

Raac, lighter and less durable than traditional concrete, was used until the mid-1990s but the Health and Safety Executive said it is now beyond its lifespan and may collapse with little or no notice.

St Stephen’s CE Primary School merged onto the site of St Mary Magdalene at the start of this year, but Year 5 and 6 pupils will now find themselves studying at the discontinued school site in Westbourne Park Road.

Parents are still being asked to drop off all children at the Rowington Close site and then staff will transport Year 5 and 6 pupils to their classrooms.

The school said that it was unsure how long remedial work will take, but that it hoped it would be completed by the end of first term.

A letter to parents read: “We are so disappointed that our plans for September will not happen quite as we expected.

“However, given the amount of building work that may need to take place, it is a sensible and pragmatic decision to move the Year 5 and Year 6 classrooms to the St Stephen’s site.

“We want to ensure that their learning is disrupted as little as possible.”

It added: “[We] want to reassure you that, while we can’t control rules and regulations around Raac we can do everything in our power to make sure that our children have a fantastic start to the academic year.

“No stone will be left unturned to ensure our children are happy, healthy and getting access to a vibrant and exciting education.”

Westminster City Council’s cabinet member for young people, learning and culture, Cllr Tim Roca, said: "The health and safety of pupils will always be the council's top priority.

"We are aware of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in two classrooms in one local school.

"The school is in direct contact with parents to inform them that these two classrooms are out of use.

"The school will not need to close or move students to online learning and we are supporting staff to ensure disruption to pupils' education is minimised."