Temporary unit to replace 'unsafe' school

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School has been closed since January 2023

Plans have been lodged for a two-storey temporary unit at a primary school while an existing "unsafe" building is demolished.

A Department for Education (DfE) planning application was submitted to Westmorland and Furness Council to remove the existing temporary buildings at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Barrow, Cumbria, and construct a temporary nursery and junior school on the playground.

This would allow the school to operate for two years while the existing school is rebuilt using DfE funding.

The primary school building, in Lumley Street, has been closed since January 2023 when inspectors found the ground floor to be unsafe.

Planning documents stated the building was "condemned on safety grounds" after damp and dry rot issues were found, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Due to the number of pupils and the "restricted" size of the site, a second building is needed at St Bernard's Catholic High School to provide the space needed for all children, the documents said.

There would be "sufficient" outdoor space at the school, with playtimes staggered to accommodate pupils.

'Challenging times'

The school received a Good rating by Ofsted in April, despite pupils being forced to leave the site and learn in temporary classrooms since last year.

Headteacher Simone Beach previously said everybody had worked together to minimise the impact on the children.

"I can't deny that it has been challenging and we have asked a lot of our team, but everyone has worked really well together to support the school community and our families," she said.

The planning application is undergoing a public consultation.