Unsafe nursery block at Thatcham school to be replaced

'Urgent need' to provide 80 pupils with classroom

A THATCHAM school will be receiving extra classrooms after a nursery block was discovered to be unsafe.

West Berkshire Council has applied for retrospective planning permission to install two modular classrooms at Francis Baily School because the nursery building had significant rot.

The council said it had been advised that the block was liable to collapse and there was an urgent need to provide classrooms for 80 pupils while it seeks government funding to replace them.

Meanwhile, pupils are being taught in ‘the white hall’ as there is no safe classroom for the nursery pupils. Two temporary classroom units have been procured by the council in the meantime.

Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News, headteacher Chris Davis said the school’s library, staff room and a nurture room had been turned into learning spaces for the new reception children. He said this would have “a knock-on effect to the rest of the school in the short term”.

He said: “As soon as this came to my attention it was decided by the school leadership team that these reception children start school on time.

“We are confident that everything appears to be on schedule for the buildings to be in place after half term.

“The school is adamant that we have a permanent solution for our young children in the shortest period of time possible.

“I’m delighted that new children and parents understood and worked with us to make sure that the entry of these children has been a very positive one.”

A spokesman for West Berkshire Council, Martin Dunscombe, said: “The building was already on our list to be replaced but after considering our options it was deemed more appropriate to provide temporary facilities, rather than undertake repairs.

“A temporary building has been installed and we are working hard to make sure it is ready as early into the school year as possible.”

“Work on the new building is proposed to begin in the next two years as part of a broader programme of school improvements and will deliver a modern building for the school to provide first-class education for our pupils.”

West Berkshire Council’s councillor for education, Dominic Boeck (Con, Aldermaston) said it was normal procedure to seek government funding, when the NWN asked whether the council had money for the project.

“There was never any doubt it would be done and we are hoping that the government will cover it because they will be spending money on it anyway.

“Improvements were always scheduled, but not as early as this.”