Teachers at Bramhall High School in Stockport hsay they face a ‘constant battle’ every day as ageing buildings leave areas with ‘no access to water or toilet facilities’.
In 2023, Bramhall High School was forced to close after dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, or RAAC, was found. This type of concrete is prone to sudden unexpected collapse.
The school later reopened after safety measures were put in place and all classrooms in the school are now open. However, parts of the school are sectioned off and pupils and staff have been working in temporary classrooms.
Plans put forward to rebuild a large part of the school have been hailed as ‘a once in a generation opportunity to create a state-of-the-art learning environment’ with construction expected to start in 2028. The school said the rebuild was ‘not only a long-term solution but a bold step forward’.
Bramhall High School fundraising
However the development is not a rebuild of the entire school with one maths block to be left standing as it is considered newer and this building currently has no running water. The school is also looking to raise £650,000 after the government said they would not fund any new furniture or equipment to go into the new school.
The school said this is ‘a significant shortfall’ and ‘students will move into the new building using ageing desks, outdated technology and limited resources’. The money would go towards modern furniture, sports equipment, landscaping of outdoor spaces, refurbishing the parts of the current site that will be left, as well as music, drama, and arts facilities.
Paul Williams, headteacher at Bramhall High School, told the LDRS this was going to mean pupils will have parts of the school that are brand new next to buildings that are in a ‘terrible state’, arguing the government’s approach did not make sense and might not be cost effective.
He added: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our school and our community. While the new building will be a huge step forward, without additional funding it will fall short of what our students need and deserve.
“We want to create an environment that supports outstanding teaching, inspires our students, and provides facilities the wider community can benefit from. We can’t achieve that alone.”
The issue has now been raised in the House of Commons by Cheadle MP Tom Morrison where he criticised the government over their ‘short-sighted’ plans and described the fact the school might have to go ‘cap in hand’ to fund any new furniture as ‘ludicrous’.
Source: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/teachers-facing-constant-battle-school-173223576.html
Image: Stockport Council