Rundown school puts pupils' health at risk - head

Marie Hunter, head teacher at the special school, said the 1960s building was no longer fit for purpose

An overcrowded and "shabby" school is putting the health of pupils with complex learning difficulties at risk, its head teacher has said.

Extremes of heat and cold, coupled with a leaking roof are just two of the challenges facing staff and children at Pens Meadow School in Wordsley.

Marie Hunter said the 1960s building was no longer fit for purpose and desperately needed a replacement.

Dudley Council has said work on a new £15m school is set to be completed by summer next year.

Despite strict spending controls to fill a financial black hole, the council has said it will fund a new Pens Meadow site in Pensnett which will replace Ridge Hill.

Mrs Hunter said she was speaking out about the state of the school’s facilities due to a number of social media comments that questioned why the local authority was spending the money, considering their financial circumstances.

"There's a lack of understanding about why the money is being spent, generally from responses on social media, but it's absolutely essential for our students," she told the BBC.

"The new build is in progress now and we have light at the end of the tunnel."

The fire escape route is currently very narrow

The special school caters for 70 pupils, many with complex needs.

Mrs Hunter said among the problems facing the school, the corridors were narrow, there was a lack of storage, not enough playground space and the bathroom facilities were inadequate.

Last year, the boiler failed and a temporary system was set up which has already broken down twice.

Poor ventilation means classrooms at Pens Meadow School heat up quickly during the summer but cold weather often causes freezing conditions.

"Wheelchair users and less mobile children can't regulate their own temperatures - if you can’t control the temperature around them that isn’t beneficial for their health," Mrs Hunter said.

The single glazed windows have to be boarded up for safety reasons

As there are no catering facilities in the school, meals are prepared off-site which can present problems.

Mrs Hunter added: "We have children who have to have blended food to certain textures, transporting that can alter the texture and that is a choking hazard."

'A wreck'

Jason Page, one of the caretakers, said: "We are faced with fire risk, leaky roof, asbestos, we are decorating every room where plaster is crumbling off walls which can only be done in holiday times.

"It’s diabolical, a wreck. They have said we have done so many repairs to the roof that there is nothing else to be repaired - it needs a whole new roof."

Jason Page said the whole school needed a new roof as he had exhausted all repair efforts

Helen Martin, the local authority's director of regeneration and enterprise, said: "Work has started on site on the new £15m school and is progressing well.

"When complete it will have fantastic facilities including therapy rooms, a hydrotherapy pool, changing facilities, outdoor teaching and play areas, and 14 classrooms where the layouts can be changed for children with additional needs, and much more.

"Construction should be completed in the summer of 2025, with the new school fully operational in January 2026."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.