Head 'disheartened' as floods keep school shut

Neil Bardsley, the school's executive head teacher, says the children are already looking forward to going back

A group of children are still unable to learn in their own school after it was flooded earlier this month.

Every classroom at St Michaels and All Angels CE Primary School in Rearsby, Leicestershire, was affected on 6 January, executive head teacher Neil Bardsley said.

The 50-year-old said it was "quite emotional" to see the damage caused following heavy rain and snow, adding water levels were higher than the skirting boards.

Pupils are currently meeting at the village hall every morning before getting a bus to another school in Syston, where they use spare classrooms.

"To see the room in this state where we have children who love to learn and to be in here and to play and to see the damage, it's been really emotional for us and actually really disheartening," said Mr Bardsley, who has been at the school for 16 years.

Dave Ellison-Lee, interim chief executive of the Rise Trust, says the school is looking at adding flood barriers

About 80 pupils attend the school, and they travel to nearby St Peters and St Pauls School, where pupils from St Michaels and All Angels CE have access to separate classrooms and a playground.

Dave Ellison-Lee, interim chief executive of the Rise Multi Academy Trust, which runs both schools, said: "It feels like the St Michael All Angels community just on a different site, which has been really nice to be able to do.

"We've seen pupils get on buses, smiling, happy and looking forward to the day of learning, which they wouldn't have been able to do otherwise."

Carpets and flooring were damaged by the flooding

Mr Ellison-Lee said contractors were called into the school as quickly as possible and the carpets were taken up.

He added: "We've had the dehumidifiers in to dry the school out.

"We've been taking inventory of any resources, any furniture, that has been damaged so we can get pupils back in as quick as possible."

The 37-year-old said he was hoping to be back into the school in about eight or nine weeks.

Mr Ellison-Lee added: "The school is usually full of joy.

"It's full of noise. The only noise that we have now is the buzz of dehumidifiers and the blowing of air dryers.

"It is really sad and what's even sadder is that we're not the only school in the locality to be affected and it seems to be something that is happening more often."