School Closure Friday 5th November

Further to the emergency closure of the school last Friday, I would like to give you an update of what happened and where we are now. 

Unfortunately on Thursday 4th November the Contractors working on the new Building Schools for the Future school at Robert Blake Science College, accidently cut through our water main at approximately 2.40pm.  Luckily this was near the end of the school day and didn’t affect the running of school on Thursday.  Subsequently they repaired the pipe and our water came back on during the evening after the school was closed. 

When the Caretaker Mr Manley came into school to open up on Friday 5th November he discovered a flood that extended from the staff room all the way down to the entry to the new build, through 6MM, The Library, 3AT, 6LM, 4JW and the SEN rooms.  Upon finding this and assessing the situation, we had no alternative other than to close the school and the emergency closures procedure was put into operation by Mr Dobson the Acting Headteacher at 7 am when the radio stations started making announcements that the school would be closed. 

Upon investigation the cause of the flood was two taps in one classroom being left turned on when the water supply was cut off.  When the school was locked up the water supply was still off and so no one could have known. 

On a more positive note, despite the devastation on Friday a massive cleanup started at 7.15am by staff and then reinforcements were organised by our Area Surveyor from the Property Services Section at the Local Authority and by 2 pm all the surface water was up, leaving the carpets soaking wet. 

The insurance company brought in a specialist team on Saturday, with industrial equipment/driers.   Subsequently on Wednesday all bar one class were able to move back into their usual classroom.  This room was the worst effected and needs a new carpet; therefore, 6LM will be in Mrs Alsford old room until this is resolved.

Let me take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused last Friday by the disruption.   The staff worked hard dealing with the clean up, manning the phones and ringing parents for children who had come into school to ensure they returned home safely.  They also moved the furniture/resources into alternative accommodation and set up temporary classrooms to ensure school opened on Monday. 

The impact of the flood will be lasting and we now have the task of itemising everything for the insurers and replacing everything written off, but on the whole it is amazing that we were only closed for one day.  We will be putting a display up of the before photographs for parents evening, for anyone wishing to see what we were dealing with.