Possible 14-mile bus journey to lessons as flooded Duffield …
More than 300 pupils, some as young as four, could be taken on a 35-minute bus ride each way to Matlock and back every day for their lessons, after Derbyshire County Council conceded that it could be at least six months before their flood-hit school can reopen. The youngsters were in their classrooms on Friday, October 20 when 36-hour continuous rain from Storm Babet[1] led to water entering the Duffield Meadows Primary School building and had to be evacuated.
Since then the Park Road school has remained closed[2] and pupils have had to be schooled at home by parents. Many of whom are unhappy that there has been very little communication from either the school or the county council.
Even a meeting for parents this week failed to tell them what would be happening next Monday (November 6) when the children would normally return to school after this week's half-term holiday. The county council told Derbyshire Live earlier this week it was looking for temporary accommodation.
POLL: Should the general sale of fireworks be banned?[3]
Following the parents' meeting held at Ecclesbourne School on Wednesday,[4] Councillor Alex Dale cabinet member for education, said: "We’re looking at all possible options to provide alternative accommodation for the whole school.
"In order to keep the school together, the current preferred option is to use a site in Matlock[5] which is large enough to accommodate the whole school of more than 300 pupils and can be organised rapidly.
"However, it’s not set in stone and we held a meeting with parents to go through the options and discuss potential alternatives. We’re meeting again with the head teacher and leadership team on site and continue to explore other alternatives to find the best option for the school."
Mr Dale added that the council is working hard to find a solution and said: "We want the children back into face-to-face learning as quickly as possible and are doing everything we can to make it work.
"The devastating floods caused by Storm Babet[6] have caused extensive damage to the school, which is expected to take a minimum of six months to put right. I’d like to reassure the community that we’re doing everything we can to ensure the school is reopened as soon as possible."
The flooded Duffield Meadows Primary School is set to be closed for at least six months (Image: Google Maps)
One parent, who did not wish to be named, said: "Many parents weren't able to be at the meeting because it is half-term. We have heard about the plans through relatives or the media and we've still not had a formal communication, it's quite worrying.
"The council refused to record the meeting although we thought that was a very reasonable request to make the meeting more accessible but to no avail. They said they would take minutes but we haven't had them shared with us."
Another parent, who also preferred not to be named, said: "I was shocked and upset about the thought of the children having to travel so far, especially those in the infants. It's such a long way and they will lose out on a lot of schooling.
"But now I've had time to think it through I'm glad they will be together and with their teachers. These children have already been through so much disruption due to the lockdown, they need stability and consistency. Meadows is a real community, anything that helps keep the community together feels like the right decision, even if it comes with some hefty compromises."
It is understood that pupils will still be home-schooled next week and that if they decide to move to temporary accommodation, this will happen the week after.
Large parts of Duffield[7] were affected by flood water during the same downpour, including the main A6 and a care home, where residents had to be evacuated. A major incident[8] was called for the whole of Derbyshire.
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References
- ^ when 36-hour continuous rain from Storm Babet (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ then the Park Road school has remained closed (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Should the general sale of fireworks be banned? (xd.wayin.com)
- ^ t Ecclesbourne School on Wednesday, (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Matlock (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ devastating floods caused by Storm Babet (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Duffield (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ major incident (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ the main Derbyshire Live newsletter here (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)