Tameside school blighted by sewage to be rebuilt

Russell Scott Primary is set to be rebuilt after many refurbishment problems

A school where pupils were forced to wade through raw sewage after a botched refurbishment is set to be rebuilt.

Russell Scott Primary School in Denton, Tameside, also had faulty fire doors, flooding and illness was caused due to fume poisoning.

Head teacher, Steve Marsland said the school was "left unfit for children".

The Department for Education announced the site has been provisionally selected for the next round of the school rebuilding programme.

Failed refurbishment work on the school cost about £2m between 2013 and 2015.

The school, on Clare Street, dates back to the 19th Century, and has been plagued by problems caused by a remodelling project by construction giant Carillion, which collapsed in 2018.

During the failed refurbishment construction, pupils were sent to a disused secondary school, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

On their first day back, staff and pupils were sent home within hours because experts found the building did not comply with fire regulations.

Over the next seven years the school faced many problems caused by the refurb, including raw sewage leaks, flooding and illness from fumes - which has seen the primary forced to close a number of times.

Mr Marsland said the years waiting had been "long", but the rebuilding was the "most fantastic news" the school could receive.

He thanked Education Secretary Gillian Keegan for recognising the "overwhelming difficulties" endured by the school.

"The problems started on day one," he said.

'Long, arduous process'

He added Carillion "failed the school before they went into liquidation" and the school's "cry for help under severe and extreme difficulties" went unheard.

Andrew Gwynne MP said: "This has been a long, arduous and at times frustrating process.

"However, I'm utterly delighted that the government has finally listened to the concerns of myself and the staff at Russell Scott and granted this funding."

He added he would continue to work "to ensure that children at Russell Scott benefit from a safe and secure learning environment".

• Rebuilt school could be demolished, MP says

Ms Keegan said the school had been chosen following a "rigorous selection process".

She wrote: "We plan to replace or refurbish one or more buildings at this school, as appropriate for the condition of the buildings on the site."

"This will greatly improve the learning environment at this school for years to come."