Gateshead Grace College 'significantly damaged' in flooding
- Published
The flooding throughout the school was captured on CCTV
A school has been forced to close and may not fully reopen for several months after 70% of the site was damaged by flooding, it has emerged.
Heavy rain on Sunday has affected classrooms, corridors, break areas, the sports hall and the assembly hall at Grace College, Gateshead.
The school has moved all classes online for more than 1,200 pupils while the damage is assessed.
Lead principal Matt Waterfield said it had been a "very challenging few days".
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CCTV footage released by the school, formerly known as Joseph Swan Academy, showed how rain water rushed down a bank and into the ground floor of the premises during torrential downpours.
Mr Waterfield said there was "uncertainty" about when the school would fully reopen, but hoped some face-to-face lessons could resume on 25 September.
The school said ground floor rooms had been damaged
The school had reopened for the new academic year last week, with Year 7 pupils starting secondary education for the first time.
Jodie Broadwell, whose daughter is in that year group, said her child had been "settling in" when the flooding occurred.
"It's absolutely awful what has happened to the school," she said.
She added that parents were now having to "juggle" a return to home teaching and said it would be "extremely difficult to manage long term", but she "really feels for the students and staff".
Mr Waterfield said his "thoughts have been in particular" with new pupils "whose transition to secondary school has been so disrupted by the events of Sunday afternoon".
"Students have been very impressive when engaging with remote learning and whilst this has been a challenge for everyone we are certain that many young people have continued to grow in knowledge and develop in understanding this week," he said.
The school told the BBC that senior leaders and professional recovery specialists had since returned to the premises to assess the damage.
Some staff are working from Emmanuel College on Consett Road, also Gateshead, which is part of the same group.
Grace College in Gateshead was hit by severe flooding
Mr Waterfield, who said a return to face-to-face teaching was a "priority", said: "Staff are working flat out to explore the quickest and most effective way towards at least a partial opening of the college."
He added that it could take "months for parts of the site to be restored" and "fully operational".
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