Catherine has urged the Government to get a grip on crumbling schools, after the closure of another four schools, now on North Tyneside, due to dangerous building infrastructure.

The issue came to light in December 2023, when part of the ceiling fell in at Fordley Primary School in Annitsford, which highlighted further concerns about structural inadequacies at Hazlewood Primary School, Churchill Community College and Grasmere Academy. All four schools have faced closures affecting around 1,700 pupils.

This is yet another worrying safety issue for schools to deal with in addition to the RAAC crisis, which saw nationwide closures and has resulted in more than 100 schools needing to be rebuilt due to crumbling concrete.

Catherine commented: “Years of neglect by Conservative Governments have left children’s education yet again disrupted by issues with school buildings, with teachers and parents also facing anxiety and disruption. 

Ministers must urgently get a grip, clarify the extent of these problems on top of RAAC, and put an action plan in place, with clear timescales, to ensure no child’s education is impacted by these never ending school building issues.” 

Catherine spoke to ITV Tyne Tees about the crisis, emphasizing the disruption and anxiety caused to students, parents and teachers in the North East, and the lack of care the Government is showing for our children’s education.

“After over a decade of neglect, this crisis is another example of a Conservative government that simply does not prioritise children or their education. Labour governments have always invested in our children’s futures and it will fall to the next Labour government to do so again.”