South Lanarkshire Council has reported that it has received "further reassurance" about four schools where aluminium composite cladding was used in their construction.

Glengowan Primary School, Larkhall, Canberra Primary School and St Kenneth's Primary School, both in East Kilbride and Crawforddyke Primary School in Carluke, were all rebuilt as part of the council's school modernisation programme. Each of these schools have some areas where the external cladding is aluminium composite panels. This is the generic description of a type of construction material that the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Schools had asked councils to supply information on.

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While this is the case, the cladding panels used on the schools are not the same product as that used at Grenfell Tower, London, and exceed building standards requirements.

The schools are also all fitted with sprinkler systems and modern fire detection and alarm systems.

As a further reassurance, the council has sought independent confirmation of the fire safety of these schools from a firm of fire engineering consultants. Following a review of the construction of each of these four schools and the cladding panels used, the consultant has confirmed that these fully meet the necessary standards and that no further actions are required relative to the cladding.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has also recently completed an audit of the fire safety measures and management systems in place at each of these four schools and have confirmed that they are satisfied that, in respect of these, each of the schools are safe.

Parents and school staff have been provided with details of the actions being taken and the findings from these, in order to provide reassurance on the fire safety of each of these four schools.

(MH)