From Tuesday 6 June, Yatton Schools will begin the final term of the academic year, with a few logistical changes in place. The fire has significantly damaged a number of classrooms and other areas which means that four classes will be educated offsite until the end of this academic year (July 2023). St Andrew’s School in Congresbury and Chestnut Park School (part of the Futura Learning Partnership) in Yatton have been incredibly accommodating and are offering classroom space for the next six weeks.

Structural engineers and insurers have assessed the rest of the site to ensure it is safe, and demolition has already begun on the areas most seriously damaged by the fire.

Miss Jo Keeble, Headteacher of Yatton Schools, has made arrangements to ensure that the children feel settled and connected following this disruption. Those who are using classrooms at other schools will still arrive and depart from Yatton every day so that “children can have time together on our site as well for their friendships, feelings of safety at Yatton and their mental health and wellbeing. We will be working with parents to help manage the children’s emotions around what has happened and help them understanding that whilst what has happened is very sad, this will be a fun and exciting new challenge for the whole school”.

Pupils in the Junior School building (Years 3-6) are unaffected and will be educated in their usual classrooms.

Temporary classrooms will be put in place over the summer holidays so that all year groups can be taught onsite from September 2023. The rebuild of the infant school is currently being planned and is expected to take at least a year.

Gary Lewis, Chief Executive of the Lighthouse Schools Partnership, has praised all of those involved “over the past week the School and Trust has been inundated with offers of help and support from the local community and the generosity from both Chestnut Park and St Andrew’s means that we can continue with the education of the children despite these tragic circumstances. Thank you to all who have pulled together to help; staff, governors, contractors and local businesses to ensure this happens. It is a long road ahead, but knowing the support is there means a lot to Miss Keeble and her staff”.