Partial returns starts today at Haygrove - as parents and councillors call for action
Pupils are facing a four-day week as a result of the disruption
Year 11 students return to Haygrove School in Bridgwater today - as parents still ask for more information about the ongoing problems.
The issues are separate to the RAAC scandal - involving buildings built from a type of concrete - and relate to a contractor going bust.
A window fell from the new main building last August, and now - following investigations - the school says it has 'been advised that the main school building should be wrapped and scaffolded' - with a safety zone around the main building - and that 'preparation started at the end of last week and is expected to take three weeks'
Some pupils are having to catch a bus to a nearby college for lessons, with the whole school is operating a four-day week on top of a staggered return to the classroom.
The school has produced a question and answer guide for parents explaining the reasons, which says: "The work that needs to be taken to implement these safety measures, and the lack of temporary classrooms and toilets as yet on site, means that unfortunately there will be a staggered return to school. We can only physically accommodate so many pupils on site at any one time until the entire block of temporary classrooms has been delivered. Whilst we have adapted some existing teaching space in other buildings into temporary classrooms, we are still significantly short of all the teaching space and facilities that we need. We know this puts all our students, families and colleagues, in an extremely difficult position, and we very much wish this was not the situation."
Some parents have expressed anger online, and called for more details about the plan for all pupils to return to lessons.
County Councillor Leigh Redman (labour) yesterdayasked Somerset Council's executive for a planon what action the Lib-Dem run authority would be taking, warning: "The accumulated failure in addressing these issues has resulted in the disruption of our young people’s education. Parents are rightfully concerned about the quality of education their children will be receiving in the disruptive temporary environments and, more importantly, their safety while learning."
A Department for Education spokesperson said they would not comment on individual schools, but did say: “We have been clear since Thursday about the number of schools immediately impacted by RAAC. It is vital that schools are given time to inform parents and consider their next steps, with extensive support from our caseworkers, before the list of affected schools is published. The Education Secretary will inform Parliament next week of the plan to keep parents and the public updated on the issue.
“52 of the 156 RAAC cases identified already have mitigations in place, and while some of the remaining projects will be more complex, many will range from just a single building on a wider estate, down to a single classroom.
“We are incredibly grateful to school and college leaders for their work with us at pace to make sure that where children are affected, disruption is kept to a minimum, and in the even rarer cases where remote learning is required, it is for a matter of days not weeks.”