Most practical classes have returned to Forres Academy following the successful completion of work on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in the upper floor

FORRES Academy students doing practical subjects are able to study in the school again following months of off-site classes.

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was discovered in the upper floor of the school last July and, following advice from structural engineers in September, a phased plan of works was developed and agreed by Moray Council’s Property and Education teams and Forres Academy’s senior leadership team, to recover teaching space as soon as possible while ensuring continuity of education.

Senior pupils taking practical subjects have been being bussed to schools in Elgin and Lossiemouth while the work has been continuous - phase one and two of significant structural works are now complete, having been carried out promptly by local contractors.

Chairwoman of Moray Council’s Education, Communities and Leisure Services Committee, Councillor Kathleen Robertson, is grateful to everyone working in the school to help get it back operating as closely to original levels.

She said: "The entire staff and pupil’s response during this unsettling period is nothing short of outstanding and I commend everyone at Forres Academy for their continued resilience.”

Phase three of the work addresses the recovery and repurposing of classrooms. This remains on track with projected timelines.

Drama classrooms on the ground floor are back in use, while technical workshops and five science labs on the first floor have been successfully restored, allowing practical science classes to be delivered within the school again.

Cllr Robertson said: "The progress made to recover so much of the schools teaching space and minimise disruption is fantastic."

Home economics is now the only practical class still being taught off-site. It is anticipated that work on the new classroom should be completed by the end of April to allow practical Home Economics to be delivered at Forres Academy again.

Senior leaders monitoring learning are considering solutions and support to mitigate lost time or learning.

The majority of prelim examinations are currently taking place at Forres House Community Centre. Discussions are ongoing as to whether this will also be the case for exams in May.