A LICHFIELD school has confirmed that a “significant” water leak was behind the decision to shut for the rest of the week.
Parents were told yesterday afternoon (8th September) that students would be sent home from Nether Stowe School.
Headteacher Kirsty Jones has now confirmed that a cracked pipe had led to specialist contractors being called in to resolve the problem which had left toilets unusable.
She said:
“I would like to reassure students, parents and carers that the safety and wellbeing of our young people remains our utmost priority.
“As our teams work towards a swift and safe reopening of the school, the school community can rest assured that the required emergency repair works are firmly under way.
“On Monday morning, a significant water leak was identified and the issue was traced to a cracked pipe located on the top floor of the main building. Specialist contractors advised that isolating the water supply and fully draining the system was necessary in order to avoid placing additional pressure on the system and potentially leading to further leaks and more extensive damage.
“These urgent works have left the building without access to hygiene or toilet facilities. We are now working closely with contractors to ensure the issue is resolved as quickly and safely as possible. Further updates will be shared with parents and carers once a safe reopening of the school can be confirmed.”
The closure has caused frustration for parents coming so quickly on the back of the school summer holidays.
Questions have also been asked after the school had previously had to shut at short notice in April due to water supply problems.
But the headteacher said the latest mishap could not have been identified any earlier.
“The cracked pipe was an unforeseen circumstance that could not have been anticipated.
“All mandatory compliance and maintenance checks are carried out regularly in line with Arthur Terry Learning Partnership standards to ensure the site is managed to the highest level of safety and compliance.
“In addition, significant investment has been made over the past 12 months to upgrade facilities and further enhance safety standards across the school.
“It is always a last resort to close any school and the entire Nether Stowe team understand the inconvenience and disruption this may have caused.
“We are extremely grateful for the patience and understanding shown and thank everyone for their efforts to support students while the repairs are carried out.
“Students have been provided with remote live lessons and offered wellbeing support as we work towards a swift reopening.”
