A high school is Stirling has been forced to close to allow repair works to get underway.

Recent precautionary checks carried out at Balfron High School revealed issues with walls in a stairwell and the school’s gym.

However, further investigations have now revealed another potential issue with the wall of the stairwell which was not immediately obvious during previous checks. There were also additional issues discovered in the atrium. As a result, further repair work is needed at the school.

The school was built under a private finance initiative (PFI) about 15 years ago but not by the firm involved with 17 schools in Edinburgh which were forced to shut earlier last month amid safety concerns.

In a statement, Stirling Council confirmed the school would now close until Friday 13 May to allow repairs to be carried out. Exams for S4, S5 and S6 pupils will still be held away from the affected areas. Alternative arrangements are being made to teach them elsewhere after that.

The leisure centre at the school has also been closed this weekend. All swimming and gymnastic classes have been cancelled. Further surveys of the school are being carried out.

A council spokesperson said: “Work is progressing at Balfron High School to organise a repair programme for areas of the school that were identified with issues during precautionary building checks.

“Senior pupils due to sit their SQA exams remain our priority and these will continue to run in areas of the school that are unaffected.

“We are currently planning alternative provision for pupils in S1-3 from this Friday (13 May).

“This will initially be off campus and we are working closely with senior colleagues in other schools to identify the best location to meet the needs of our young people.”

She added: “This will be a temporary arrangement as we are also developing plans for alternative on-site provision at Balfron.

“A further update will be provided once more information is available. Every effort is being made to minimise disruption and ensure the best possible provision for all our pupils.”