All schools in Gwent will remain open this week amid concerns over possible RAAC in schools.

Only two schools in Wales, both located in Anglesey, have been confirmed as having Reinforce Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

Amid the recent reports in England that over 100 schools are having to close due to concerns about RAAC, all 22 local authorities in Wales are currently assessing RAAC in their educational buildings.

The Welsh Government has confirmed that work is currently being undertaken to verify the status of all schools in Wales, with the results of these reviews by local authorities expected to be revealed in two weeks.

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said: “Our main concern is the safety of pupils and staff.

“Since we became aware of these developments, we have been working urgently with Local Authorities and the Welsh Local Government Association to make sure pupils and staff can go back to school safely.”

Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister Laura Anne Jones MS said: “Students and parents don’t want a statement saying, ‘he said, she said’ and trying to pass the blame to someone else. They want a Welsh Government which is going to take action to solve this problem and reassure communities that their schools are safe.

“The fact is that the Welsh Government have taken their eye off the ball on this, relying on councils to do the work that the UK Government was leading on in England.

“Whilst it’s welcome that they’ve named the two schools that have RACC, it’s not reassuring for schools across Wales who are now having to urgently undertake these surveys because the Labour Government sat on their hands for a year.”

Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew Davies MS believes Labour are lacking in decisive action, and by doing so, are putting “pupils’ safety at risk”.

Plaid Cymru’s education spokesperson, Heledd Fychan MS said: “With work to verify the position across Wales still ongoing, it is concerning that the scale of the problem across the country is currently unknown.

“By not sharing the latest evidence until late last night with the Welsh Government, the UK Government has potentially put the safety of children, young people and staff in schools and colleges at risk. Welsh Government must now act decisively to ensure that this risk is mitigated.”

All five local authorities in Gwent – Torfaen, Newport, Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire and Caerphilly – will have been checking their educational settings for any sign of RAAC.

Newport City Council, Caerphilly County Borough Council and Torfaen County Borough Council have all confirmed that no schools in the area will be closed this week due to RAAC.

A spokesperson for Torfaen Council said: “We do not have any immediate concerns about the structural integrity of any of its buildings, including schools.

“The Welsh Government has indicated that it intends to carry out surveys of all schools and we will work with them to support that process.”

Blaenau Gwent Council said the safety of staff and pupils is a top priority, and that following initial assessments, they are certain schools in the area are safe, while confirming that ongoing assessments of other buildings are taking place. 

Monmouthshire Council said they will continue to work with experts in the field and the Welsh Government to understand the risk of RAAC in schools, and will undertake further investigations with specialist engineers if necessary. 

However, Ty Sign Primary School in Risca is closed all week due to unrelated ongoing building works.