THE closure of parts of Preston Lodge High School has been extended after inspection work identified structural "faults" within the building.

Last week, East Lothian Council had confirmed that parts of the school would close on a temporary basis while safety inspections took place.

However, following the discovery of structural issues in certain parts of the building, the council has now confirmed that these areas will be closed for an extended period of time.

The inspections came on the back of the council’s desire to inspect buildings across the county that are constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete used in roof, floor, cladding and wall construction in the UK from the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s.

The UK Government has encouraged local authorities to inspect buildings made with RAAC, with particular concern given to roofs due to the limited durability of the material.

The "structural issues" with this material have already forced the extended closure of The Brunton in Musselburgh.

Gavin Clark, Preston Lodge headteacher, said:"Inspection works at Preston Lodge have confirmed that RAAC was used in the construction of some, but not all, parts of our building.

"As a result of faults identified in the RAAC which is present, we will need – as a precautionary measure – to keep some parts of the building closed while inspections continue and engineers advise on potential remedial actions."

It has since been confirmed that the areas of the school remaining closed are the PE gyms and games hall, the maths 'gallery' classrooms, the top floor of C Block (modern languages, business/IT and RME) and the top floor of the art/science block.

This will be the case for at least the duration of the current term, which ends on June 28.

Mr Clark added: "The safety and wellbeing of everyone in school is our top priority.

"Engineering assessments have confirmed that other areas of the building are unaffected and remain safe to use."

A realistic timescale is still unknown; however, Mr Clark confirmed that "further disruption is inevitable" and the school was now looking at "practical measures" to maximise available classroom space.

He said: "By making timetabling adjustments and being flexible in how we use the space available to us, we will be able to maintain existing learning and teaching approaches between now and the end of the term.

"Once the engineers have advised us about the different options available, and subsequent decisions are made, we will be clearer about the nature of remedial actions and the timescale for these to be carried out.

"Although further disruption is inevitable, I’m sure you will agree that safety is paramount.

"In the event of disruption at the start of the new session in August, it would still be our intention to maintain provision for learning for all year groups within the facilities here at Preston Lodge.

"We are now considering what this means in terms of practical measures to maximise the availability of space.

"While the continued temporary closure of some parts of the building is not the news any of us would have wished for, and will undoubtedly continue to present difficulties, we are committed to achieving the best possible learning experience for all students and staff.

"It is clearly a challenging time, but I know we will support each other as a school community and we can draw on the immense resilience and community spirit we are all so proud of.

"I am very grateful to all students, parents and carers for your understanding, and we will provide you with a further update in due course."