Joyce Frankland Academy in Newport is included in a programme to remove RAAC from one of the school's buildings.

RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) was commonly used in construction between the 1950s and 1990s, and is being permanently removed from school buildings due to safety concerns.

The Department for Education's School Rebuilding Programme will see major rebuilding and refurbishment projects carried out at schools across the UK - including the removal of RAAC.

Joyce Frankland Academy is part of Anglian Learning, which undertook substantial repair work during the summer holidays to ensure the affected building - E Block - could remain open at the start of this academic year.

However these works are only temporary, and the long-term solution is E Block's complete removal and replacement.

Jonathan Culpin, CEO of Anglian Learning, said: "The summer repair work safeguarded staff and pupils at the school.

"However, this news from the DfE is welcomed to ensure that RAAC from the affected building is permanently removed.

"Our central team look forward to working with the DfE, other agencies and the school as further details of the rebuilding project become known about the provision of a new aspirational learning environment for our pupils."

The timescales and extent of the project are still to be worked out, however Principal Duncan Roberts said this is an "exciting" time for the school.

He said: "I am delighted to learn that Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport has been chosen to be part of the government's School Rebuilding Programme.

"Our academy has been an integral part of this community for centuries and, as a result of this, has had to continually and successfully change and adapt to meet its demand.

"This will begin another new chapter in the school's future, providing our pupils with exciting new facilities which will enable them to flourish."

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Anglian Learning is a multi-academy trust comprising 16 schools.

There are currently 400 schools included in the Schools Rebuilding Programme.

School buildings are prioritised according to their condition, with projects delivered at a rate of approximately 50 per year.

More information is available on the government website.