The chief executive of an academy trust forced to delay re-opening one of his schools said the move could have been avoided with more notice about a change in rules.

Oliver Burwood, chief executive officer of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, said he received no direct notification of changing government guidelines over reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (RAAC).

The material has a shelf-life of 30 years, after which experts say there is a risk of it crumbling and collapsing.

The change in guidance forced Mr Burwood to delay the new school term at one of his schools, Thomas Bullock Primary in Shipdham, after RAAC was discovered in its assembly hall.

But he said that had guidance over concrete been changed earlier he would have easily been able to open the school on time.

He said: "It is interesting that the guidance was changed on August 31, that's very late, that's just a statement of fact.

"Obviously, the earlier you know the easier it is. If we'd have found out just a couple of days before we would have been able to avoid the delay - I'm certain of that.

"There's a level of frustration that it came so late in the day, but the flipside of that is I'd rather be told on August 31 than September 10.

Mr Burwood told the Press Association that the school had discovered the concrete in late June - but the change in guidance did not come into force until August 31, forcing the trust's hand.

He said: "Some of my reflections about how the news was shared - myself and my head of estates and the headteacher involved found this out by watching television and listening to radio.

"We weren't directly communicated with about the change. 

"There is a level of misfortune there I'd say that we were on top of the issue because we're all engaged and interested in it.

"It shifted from the RAAC in Thomas Bullock being something you could monitor and fix without any change of use of the hall - to it being in a room you can no longer use."