A SCHOOL has been forced to close after a large water leak led to the building being deemed as ‘unsafe for staff and pupils’.

Meadowside Community Primary, in Orford, informed parents that staff had discovered the leak last Wednesday (October 9) and after investigating the issue further found ‘the duct work beneath the floor of the school building had filled with a significant quantity of water’.

In a statement provided to the Warrington Guardian, the school said: “A risk assessment was conducted, and the building was deemed to be unsafe for staff and pupils.

“The decision was immediately taken to close the school on Thursday and Friday and the school quickly implemented an online learning approach with pupils being educated at home.”

The school, located off Clough Avenue, were informed by a health and safety executive that they would need to seek approval before clearance of the water could commence – this was sought ‘immediately’ – but the scale of the problem then came to light.

A spokesperson said: “It became clear that the school building would not be safe for occupancy for the following week until all waters had been cleared and the full extent of the damage assessed.

“At this point, we sought appropriate alternative accommodation to accommodate our children, in order to prioritise their welfare and to enable a quick return to face-to-face teaching.”

By this Tuesday the setting had secured a ‘safe and appropriate accommodation’ for pupils to learn in temporarily – these premises were risk assessed before teaching began.

In the most recent update on the school closure, Meadowside said: “We are now working with a range of external agencies to rectify the issue.

“Whilst we do this, staff and pupils will continue to work in designated off-site premises for the remainder of this week and attendance of both pupils and staff has been excellent.

“The half term holiday begins on October 21 and we will be doing everything we can during that time to minimise any future disruption to pupils’ learning.”

The statement continued: “This is a really unfortunate situation which could not have been foreseen or prevented; staff at the school and within the trust have acted decisively to maintain the safety and educational consistency essential for all children and staff within our care.

“We would also like to thank our parents who have demonstrated understanding and flexibility in ensuring the children’s attendance at the various external locations.

We will continue to act with the urgency this situation requires and will keep all stakeholders fully informed with any updates or future planning.”