Derby school set to remain partially closed until February

Dozens of pupils have been affected by the closure of classrooms

Pupils at a special school in Derby will have to wait until February to return to their classes while major repairs are carried out.

Part of the Kingsmead School in Alvaston closed temporarily last month after being declared unsafe for children and staff to occupy.

Derby City Council identified "areas of falling plaster within the ceiling" following heavy rainfall.

Pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 have had to study from home in recent weeks.

Students in Years 7 and 8 are not affected as they study in a different building in the school grounds.

'They are not learning'

The council has now said repairs to the building are scheduled to be completed by 31 January.

Pupils are expected to return to classes on 1 February.

One parent said she was concerned with the impact the closure could have on her son.

She said: "The children are still not in a school environment as they should be, all their GCSE work is being done online.

"The majority of parents work and our children won't do the work independently. They are not learning and getting the preparation they need for their GCSEs."

A spokesperson for the council said: "We appreciate the disruption and distress this situation has caused and are committed to ensuring the necessary work is completed as swiftly as possible.

"The council will continue to support the school team as they provide pupils with ongoing education during the temporary closure."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has asked the council how much the repair work will cost, but no direct answer has been provided.