Melton's biggest primary school remains closed following serious storm damage
Melton Mowbray’s biggest primary school remains closed for a second day this morning (Tuesday) following the serious damage caused by last week’s storm.
A lightning bolt caused a fire in the roofs of two houses on nearby Bayswater Road early on Thursday and the electrical storm also impacted Brownlow Primary School’s alarm systems.
The school, which was closed for half-term during the incident, remained closed yesterday and it is hoped it will reopen for pupils tomorrow when repair work is completed.
More than 500 children attend Brownlow Primary School – which is on Limes Avenue and is managed by Mowbray Education Trust – and families have had to make alternative childcare arrangements at the start of this summer term.
Headteacher, Vicky Sellars, told the Melton Times: “Our school's fire safety systems and alarms were significantly damaged by the electrical storm that affected Melton Mowbray last week.
"Since then, the Trust's executive team, and our specialist contractors have been working tirelessly to restore these essential systems as quickly as possible.
“We sincerely apologise to our pupils, families, and staff for the disruption and loss of face-to-face learning this has caused.
"To minimise the impact, learning has continued through our online platform.”
She added: “The safety and wellbeing of our pupils and staff remain our absolute priority. Unfortunately, without fully operational fire safety systems, we are unable to reopen the school safely.
“The Department for Education and Leicestershire County Council have been kept fully informed of the situation.
"Closing the school is always a last resort and is necessary to ensure the safety of everyone in our school community.”