Education Pupils home schooling again after floods
PARENTS at a North Somerset school have expressed concern their children may not be able to return to the classroom until January after rainwater flooded the building.
Ravenswood School, in Nailsea, will not reopen until September 27 at the earliest after pupils were sent home last week when heavy rain damaged a temporary roof causing extensive flooding and electrical damage.
The temporary roof was in place as part of work to upgrade the main school structure during a 12-week works programme that started during the school holiday.
Pupils are now working from home as repairs take place, including work being carried out to ensure the roof remains watertight.
The school hopes to partially reopen to some pupils from Monday, September 27, but at least four classes may have to be relocated to a new facility in the longer term. And in a letter to parents, headteacher Mark Senior said the Primary building may be out of action until January 2022.
In the meantime, home learning is being provided for the 137 pupils at the school and families are being regularly updated on any developments by school staff.
But parents are concerned about the impact it is going to have on their children who have already missed months of their education due to Covid-19.
Parent Helen Truan said: “I’ve been shocked to be informed that many of the children in the school, including my son, may not be able to return until January. For there to have been such widespread water damage to the school is devastating.
“It’s my understanding that work was carried out on the roof over the summer holidays and therefore for such an amount of water to have poured into the school is deeply concerning. It was a danger to both the children and staff in the building and I just do not see how it could’ve happened.”
Whilst the the school closure will affect the children, it will also have an impact on parents who are having to take time off from work to home school their children.
Sarah Sullivan’s daughter was back at school for two days before being sent home.
She said: “I’m self employed with my own business. I’ll have to work evenings and attempt to provide some kind of schooling for Faye during the day. She only started at Ravenswood in January 2020, then in March we went into lockdown. Faye didn’t return until September 2020. The children just can’t get a break at Ravenswood.”
Mr Senior said: “The school’s suffered considerable water and electrical damage. Before pupils can return we have to be sure the school is dry and safe as that is our top priority. We appreciate this is an extremely stressful time for pupils and their families but we have to put safety first.
“We’re doing all we can to support families and provide temporary learning solutions. If anyone has any concerns about the well-being of their child I would ask them to contact me directly.”
Cllr Catherine Gibbons, North Somerset Council’s executive member with responsibility for education added: “This is an extremely difficult situation and we’re working with the school to resolve it as soon as possible. This further disruption to learning during the pandemic is upsetting but we’d like to reassure parents and carers that we’re doing all we can to get Ravenswood open again.”
North Somerset Council said it was working with the school to find possible alternative classroom space if the repair work takes longer than expected to complete.
I’ll have to work evenings and attempt to provide some kind of schooling during the day
Parent Sarah Sullivan