Castlehead High - gym halls update
Dear parent or carer
As you are aware, we last year discovered some Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in the roof of the gym hall at Castlehead High School, and as a result, the gym halls at the school have been closed as a precautionary measure while we investigate a solution.
We have looked at a number of options and a decision has now been made to install steel beams, to strengthen the area of roof in question. We are now working with consultants on a design for this.
If given approval by councillors, we will appoint a contractor to do this work. We expect this to be done over the summer, which will minimise disruption to the overall running of the school.
However this does mean the gym halls will remain out of use until then, which will impact on this year’s exams. While it will be possible to keep some of the exams in the school, some of the larger exams will instead take place at The Lagoon Leisure Centre.
We are sorry for this inconvenience, however it will not be possible to do the work to the gym hall any sooner. My team are working with the school and our colleagues at OneRen, who manage The Lagoon, to ensure we deliver the best possible exam experience for our young people.
This will include an entrance to the building for sole use of our pupils, and dedicated quiet spaces outside the main exam hall, in which pupils can prepare for the exams.
The head teacher will be in touch with the parents of the pupils affected with more information on how this will be managed by the school.
This does of course mean arrangements for physical education will continue to be disrupted for the rest of the school term, and the school will keep you updated directly on how this is being managed.
We appreciate this situation is far from ideal for pupils or parents and we appreciate your patience while we put a solution in place. The safety of our pupils and staff will always be our biggest priority, which is why this work is necessary.
If you have any questions or issues you would like to discuss with the school, the leadership team there will be happy to do so.
Kind regards
Gerry Lyons
Interim Head of Education, Renfrewshire Council
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