Haltwhistle Academy Primary flood and arson keep pupils at home

Children from the school will switch to remote learning while the damage is investigated.

A recently refurbished school has been unable to reopen after the summer holidays because of flood damage and a fire in the car park.

Haltwhistle Academy Primary School in Northumberland said staff were "devastated" by the damage, which occurred on Sunday and Monday.

It reopened last year after a multimillion-pound renovation to turn it from a middle school to a primary.

Pupils are learning remotely while investigations are carried out.

Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service was called to the school at 22:55 BST on Sunday and extinguished a fire in a stolen car that had been set alight in the car park.

Northumbria Police told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was treating the incident as arson and has asked anyone with information to contact them.

The next day, the fire service received another call from the school to report flooding on the upper floors.

The school, which is operated by WISE Academies Trust, is working with Northumberland County Council to try and provide alternative provision and keep disruption to a minimum.

Head teacher Susie Drake said: "Our priority is to reopen to all children as soon as it is practical and safe to do so."   

She added specialists would carry out a structural assessment of the school and that teachers have "moved quickly to implement remote learning".