Ministers have upgraded the risk of school buildings collapsing after falling ceiling tiles hit staff, walls cracked and buildings required 鈥渦rgent propping up鈥. Schools Week has learned 鈥渟erious structural issues鈥 reported at five schools in one year triggered the government鈥檚 recent warning to upgrade the risk of collapses to 鈥渃ritical 鈥 very likely鈥. Ministers are under mounting pressure to release more data on building risks, with A freedom of information request has uncovered the five incidents in the year to October 2021 that led to the elevated alert. None had been flagged to senior officials the previous year, and six further incidents were reported last year 鈥 although these schools were not named. Falling concrete and 鈥榰rgent propping鈥 The five cases include St Anne鈥檚 (Stanley) School in Liverpool, which experts said could not reopen without 鈥渦rgent propping up鈥. The DfE funded temporary repairs and a longer-term rebuild. A Bradford teacher was reportedly admitted to hospital after they were hit by a falling ceiling tile at Fearnville Primary School, forcing temporary closure and repairs. Both schools were approached for comment. Fortis Academy in Birmingham also temporarily closed after a concrete ceiling panel fell on a desk during holidays. A Shaw Education Trust spokesperson said all panels were replaced within weeks. It later secured funding for works. Angel Road Junior School in Norwich similarly suffered 鈥渇alling pieces of ceiling tiles鈥 in a classroom. The Evolution Academy Trust permanently relocated pupils to its nearby infant school, saying it could not guarantee pupil and staff safety. Issues ‘very challenging’ Council documents reveal three incidents of failing lath-and-plaster ceilings, plus subsidence, penetrating damp, extensive roof repairs and a canteen beyond its life expectancy. Dr Craig Avieson, the trust chief executive, said issues had been 鈥渧ery challenging鈥, but reserves and local partnerships helped it 鈥渟wiftly adjust鈥 and reduce disruption. It has since secured capital funding. Burnside Academy in Sunderland closed in March last year after routine maintenance sparked 鈥渟tructural movement鈥, with walls cracking and paving slabs rising up. Buildings were due to reopen last March, but repairs have taken longer than expected with permission to keep using portable cabins on playing fields extended to this July. DfE documents say 鈥渄ifficult geology鈥aused issues鈥. Planning documents say the school鈥檚 initial decision to bus children to other schools was 鈥渃onsidered鈥armful鈥 to their education. But temporary facilities posed issues too, including two break-ins in a week last year, briefly forcing closure as stolen cables left buildings without power. The school did not respond to a request for comment. Ministers under fire James Bowen, policy director at the school leaders鈥 union NAHT, said these cases were 鈥渢he tip of the iceberg鈥. Stephen Morgan, Labour鈥檚 shadow schools minister, said the examples showed 鈥渙ur crumbling school buildings are a ticking time bomb鈥. Labour MPs recently lodged 110 questions with the DfE seeking constituency-level data on the condition of schools. Olivia Blake Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake said cladding 鈥渇lew off鈥 Dore Primary School last month, leaving constituent parent Carla Ashman with 鈥渟erious鈥 injuries. Ashman told Schools Week she suffered a black eye and now had trouble reading and had tinnitus, needing three weeks off work. But she said it 鈥渃ould have been a lot worse鈥 and killed a child. Munira Wilson, the Lib Dem education spokesperson, also highlighted funding cuts, citing Northfield Special School in Oxfordshire, which closed after the council deemed it 鈥渦nfit for purpose鈥. Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said detailed surveys allowed risks to be identified. The government took 鈥渋mmediate action鈥, including closing dangerous buildings for remedial works. Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, repeated a pledge to publish condition data, but gave no date after missing a December target. A DfE spokesperson said condition data informed its school rebuilding programme to transform the 500 most in-need schools. Blame game Not everyone blames cutbacks, however. While criticising 鈥渨oefully inadequate鈥 government funding, Sheffield education committee co-chairs Mick Rooney and Dawn Dale said falling cladding at Dore 鈥渨asn鈥檛 caused by a lack of repairs鈥 or its condition, but by 鈥渉igh winds鈥. Head Lynnette Glossop said the school took 鈥渋mmediate remedial steps鈥, and hoped Ashman speaking up would improve repairs funding. Oxfordshire County Council also previously put Northfield鈥檚 dilapidated condition down not to contractor Carillion鈥檚 鈥減oor performance鈥, and has since overseen a 拢12 million rebuild. Meanwhile DfE documents say Fearnville鈥檚 falling ceiling tile was eventually 鈥渇ound not to be structural鈥, triggered instead by urgent repairs to defective roofing.