Special school pupil doesn't understand why he is at home, mum says

Wendy Gallagher's 11-year-old son Andrew is a pupil at Sandelford Special School

A special school pupil has prayed for his school roof to be fixed after it caused him and his class to be sent home for a week, his mother has said.

More than 30 pupils at Sandelford Special School in Coleraine, County Londonderry, have had to be homeschooled for a week due to leaks, fungal growth and mould in their classrooms.

"He just doesn't really understand, he asks why he can't go to school," Wendy Gallagher, whose son is a pupil, told BBC News NI.

A local disability charity has said that the families have been "deserted" by the Education Authority (EA).

The EA said it had "prioritised emergency repair works to the mobile classrooms at Sandelford School, ahead of longer-term solutions".

The EA said it deemed the Sandelford classrooms safe

Parents have been told that "a full roof replacement and other works" are needed in their classrooms.

But the EA has said that, following an air quality test, the classrooms are safe to return to.

How are families of pupils affected?

Ms Gallagher said she still had concerns given the problems that had been identified.

Parents of affected pupils, like Andrew, were informed in a letter from the school on 7 November that four classrooms would have to be closed and that pupils should stay at home.

"As a school we feel that the Education Authority has not acted with pace to treat this matter with the seriousness that it requires," the school letter said.

"We have continued to manage daily leaks but unfortunately due to the discovery of fungal growth we feel this situation is no longer acceptable and we must act to protect pupil and staff health."

"Andrew has attended Sandelford since he was in pre-school and he absolutely loves his school," Ms Gallagher told BBC News NI.

"He's normally a very happy content wee boy.

"The school have been absolutely excellent this week and the last time he was off.

"There's a virtual learning platform and they've been sending things through every day."

'He misses his friends'

But Ms Gallagher said that Andrew struggled being out of school and became very unsettled.

"He misses his friends," she said.

"I do realise that it's on his mind because he says his wee prayers at night and the last couple of nights, off his own bat, he's been praying that his school roof will get fixed.

"He might not be able to communicate it all the time to us but he's obviously thinking about it.

"I feel really sad for him, because he loves school."

Both Ms Gallagher and her husband work full-time so they have had to juggle work and caring for Andrew.

But given the problems with leaks, fungal growth and mould in the classrooms she does not know if it is safe for him to go back yet.

Parents were called to an emergency meeting in the school about the situation on 11 November.

"The EA have stated themselves that a full roof replacement is needed," Ms Gallagher said.

"They're saying they've done an air quality test and the air quality's fine."

"The roof isn't fixed, the leaks are still coming."

"I'm just at a loss to understand how anyone in the Education Authority would think that we as parents would want to send our child into that classroom."

"I know I'm not the only parent who feels that."

Why might the pupils have to move from the school?

A plan has been put forward to move the affected pupils temporarily to the recently closed Balnamore Primary, about five miles away, in December to allow the work on their classrooms to take place.

Ms Gallagher said that was "not ideal", but was "better than not being at school".

In a letter on 13 November, after the affected children had been out of school for four days, parents were told that pupils would be based at Balnamore temporarily "to allow a full roof replacement and other works."

But they were also told that the EA had carried out an air quality test and had deemed the Sandelford classrooms safe.

"I fully appreciate the frustration and disruption this has caused," the school principal's letter continued.

"I also issue a full apology for asking your children to remain at home for four days whilst the Education Authority completed remedial works."

"I only did so with the best intentions."

Janet Schofield works for a charity for children with SEN, including some Sandelford pupils

What are the charity's concerns?

Janet Schofield is from Compass Advocacy Network, a Ballymoney-based charity for children with SEN, including some Sandelford pupils, and adults with learning disabilities.

She has written to the EA to call for "immediate and decisive action" to fix the building problems at the school.

"The school is doing its very best in very, very difficult circumstances," Ms Schofield told BBC News NI.

"These are 33 vulnerable children in these four units that are affected."

Ms Schofield said that families of the pupils were "being deserted, really."

"As a parent myself, it concerns me that you're having to make the decision of putting your child into an unsafe environment where they might get sick."

"In addition to that, it's the consequences then on those families who are essentially full-time carers."

"It's the most vulnerable individuals that are being impacted."

A recent report from assembly members on Stormont's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said many schools in Northern Ireland were "in a state of disrepair", and it would take up to £800m to fix them.

Jon Burrows is calling for the EA to take action

Ulster Unionist Party MLA Jon Burrows had been contacted by a number of parents about the situation at the school.

He said it was "vital that urgent action is taken by the Education Authority to address these issues".

"Long-term remedial work was promised but not delivered and this has resulted in the children being notified that they would have to move out of the school to another school outside Ballymoney.

"Yesterday this suddenly changed and the parents have been informed the air quality has been checked again and is safe for the children to be at school.

"Special educational needs children are especially affected by disruption and change and this entire episode, from the failure to speedily repair buildings to confused communication is unacceptable."

'Minimise disruption to learning'

In a statement, a spokesperson for the EA said they had "worked to address the issues and minimise disruption to learning".

"The affected classrooms have passed the required health and safety checks, and the classrooms are operational," they added.

"Further planned work to the mobile classrooms - including a roof upgrade - will require a short-term relocation of pupils to the former Balnamore PS site.

"We are finalising plans for this relocation, which is expected to take place in early December.

"In the longer-term, a School Enhancement Programme project to provide 13 classrooms and ancillary accommodation is due to commence in the next 12-18 months.

"This project will replace the mobile classrooms.

"The ongoing budgetary pressures on the EA are well documented, not least in terms of maintenance funding and the state of the school estate."

The EA recently increased the cost of school dinners as part of an effort to make major savings.