School delays opening due to flooding

The school said it needed to make sure its "emergency evacuation system could operate"

A school delayed the start of the day due to what it described as a "significant flood" in its reception area.

St Helena School in Colchester said it opened at 10:45 GMT and lessons began at 11:05.

One parent criticised the school's communication, claiming the school did not give a reason for the closure when the news was announced earlier in the morning.

The Sigma Trust, which runs the school, was asked for further comment.

Kirsty said she first received the news in a text message at 08:05, after her 11-year-old daughter had already left home.

"I don’t think it has been handled well," she said.

"They could have told us what it was and I’ve had to call my daughter to find out, which is wrong - they should have told us."

In an email sent to parents and seen by the BBC, the school told parents there was a "significant flood to the main part of the school" which caused extensive water damage.

"[We] needed to ensure we could open safely, this includes making sure our emergency evacuation system could operate," the school wrote.