Normally, going back to school after the Christmas holiday is not something welcomed by most children – unless they go to Pinner Wood School.
That’s because, after nearly a year away, staff and children returned to the Latimer Gardens site earlier this week. The school had been closed after geological surveys found the ground underneath the building could become unstable because of chalk mines.
Pupils had been using a temporary site at Harrow Civic Centre.
Celebrations were held to mark the return on January 8. They featured the Flying Seagull Project, a charity dedicated to spreading laughter and smiles to those in need.
Headteacher Sarah Marriott admitted that there was a moment when she thought the reopening of the school would not be possible.
Chris Spencer, head of children services at Harrow Council, revealed that Harrow Council had spent £5 million on the site and that the council had applied to the government for a refund. There are still works to complete on the school site and it is hoped these will be complete by the end of this month.
Mr Spencer also revealed that the borough of Harrow has the highest density of high performing school places and that Pinner Wood is the number one performing school in the authority.
Picture credit – Peter Dale
Fantastic news. Well done to all who made it happen so quickly considering the scale of the operation.