St Thomas More Comprehensive in Eltham is the only school in Greenwich borough confirmed as having problems with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the Department for Education has said.

The government has finally published a list of schools which have been affected by the scandal surrounding public buildings that were constructed with a lightweight, bubbly form of concrete that can fail as it ages.  

St Thomas More remains open to pupils, but its main hall and kitchen have been closed  because RAAC was found there, while nearby rooms have also been closed as a precautionary measure. 

Pupils have been asked to bring in packed lunches while the school makes alternative catering arrangements. On days they are doing PE, they will have to attend in their PE kit. Portable toilets have also been brought in.

“The safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff is my highest priority; any plans we must put in place will always focus on this,” Stuart Sharp, the head teacher, said in a letter to parents. “Equally, as little disruption to the education of our young people is vitally important and we will do out utmost to keep the school accessible for all year groups to attend and learn.”

Outside Greenwich borough, Myatt Garden primary school in Brockley and Cleve Park secondary in Sidcup have also been found to have RAAC, but both remain open, according to the education department. 

Issues with RAAC have been known for many years, but government advice changed last week after a school ceiling collapsed during the summer break, with head teachers told to close parts of schools that were built with the material. 

The former civil servant in charge of the education department, Jonathan Slater, told BBC Radio 4 yesterday that a programme to fix problems with RAAC had been cut back by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor, an accusation that the prime minister called “completely wrong”.

Today the BBC also reported that an earlier programme to deal with RAAC had been cut back by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats when their coalition entered power in 2010.

On Monday, the education secretary Gillian Keegan apologised after being caught on camera by ITV saying that “everyone else has sat on their arse” about the issue.

RAAC was commonly used in public buildings between the 1950s and 1990s. Greenwich Council said: “We are aware that one school has RAAC installed in the roof of its main hall.

“Following the DfE’s sudden order, only days before the new term starts, schools must take affected areas out of action regardless of risk rating. The school has brought in measures to keep all students safe.

“In the meantime, more intrusive and in-depth reviews will be undertaken to determine the resolution plan. The DfE will be covering capital costs. No other buildings in Greenwich are currently affected.”

Story updated at 5.20pm to include Greenwich Council comment.

If you know of a public building in Greenwich borough with RAAC problems that hasn’t been made public, contact us in confidence at greenwichwire[at]flyovermedia.london.