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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Jack Thurlow

Statement issued after Beeston school forced to close for 4 days

A Beeston school has been closed for four days due to a sewage pump system break. Banks Road Infant and Nursery School, in Banks Road, informed parents and carers that the school would close on Tuesday (January 31) due to the system failure which meant that pupils and staff would be unable to use any water or toilet facilities.

The school was closed at short notice for "obvious safety reasons". Headteacher Carole Clemens said that the fix has "taken longer than hoped".

The school remained closed for the rest of the week as repairs were carried out and a solution to the issue was sought. Mrs Clemens has since stated that the problem has been identified and the school will reopen on Monday (February 6).

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Mrs Clemens said: "Unfortunately, earlier this week, the school's sewage pump system broke, meaning that we were unable to use any water or toilet facilities. The safety and well-being of the children at the school is my priority and I had to close the school at short notice for the obvious safety reasons.

"I have been continually working with our contractors and the local authority to resolve the problem as quickly as possible so that we can reopen school safely. Disappointingly, getting the system fixed has not been straightforward and has taken longer than hoped.

"Throughout this time I have kept parents and carers updated with the difficulties faced and progress made. I appreciate the frustration of parents and carers who have been unable to send their children into school while we have tried extremely hard to resolve a situation that is out of our control.

"Class teachers have communicated with parents and carers and have provided remote learning activities for children to access. Working alongside the local authority, an appropriate solution has been identified and we are delighted that the school will be fully open to all children on Monday.

"I would like to thank all of our parents and carers for their patience and I look forward to welcoming everyone back to school next week."

David Morris, interim chair of the governing board, said it was satisfied with the decision to close the school. He said: "Carole and the team have been keeping the governing board updated throughout the unfortunate situation, and we are satisfied they have put the health and safety of the children at the heart of any decision made.

"It is always difficult to close a school for any period of time and we are pleased an appropriate solution has been found to reopen from Monday. We would like to thank children, parents, carers and the whole school team for their support and patience during the last week, and look forward to seeing the children laughing and learning again next week."

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