Council confirms temporary arrangements for Liberton Primary pupils after fire
Dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze on Wednesday
Last updated 7th Feb 2020
Edinburgh Council has told parents of Liberton Primary School pupils the school is likely to remain closed until after the Easter holiday.
Dozens of firefighters tackled a major blaze at the Gilmerton Road site on Wednesday afternoon.
The local authority says it will need a few weeks to clean up the site and set up temporary buildings to hold classes there.
It has confirmed the following arrangements for pupils following the mid-term break:
- P1A, P1B and P1/2 pupils will go to Prestonfield Primary School
- P2A and P2B pupils will go to Castleview Primary School
- P3-P6 pupils will go to Castlebrae High School
- P7 pupils will go to Inch House Community Education Centre
The Council also says transport will be provided for all pupils going to and from each venue - and it'll make arrangements for belongings which were in the building at the time of the fire to be collected.
Paul Ewing, Head Teacher at Liberton Primary School, said: “This has obviously been a deeply upsetting time for the school and our pupils.
"I want to thank our staff, families and friends who have rallied round since the fire and all the messages of support from across the whole school community.
“We will be working closely with the four venues in finalising arrangements for our pupils and staff. I know everyone will be working together to ensure that our Liberton school family is supported.”
City of Edinburgh Council Education Convener Councillor Ian Perry said: “The safety of our pupils and staff is paramount.
"They’ll be naturally disappointed they can’t return to the school immediately but I’m sure they will fully understand that the whole school site has been impacted by the fire as I saw first-hand yesterday.
“Praise must go to everyone who has worked tirelessly over the past two days in reacting so swiftly and positively to this major incident. It’s been a huge challenge to put in place alternative plans to educate 500 pupils at such short notice.”
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