A decision is set to be made on whether to allocate nearly three quarters of a million pounds to address building safety concerns at a primary school in Sheffield.
Sheffield City Council’s Finance and Performance Committee will meet on 16 March to discuss plans to allocate £720,000 for urgent works on the roof of Carterknowle Junior School in Nether Edge.
Maroof Raouf, Green councillor for Nether Edge and Sharrow, said: “We shouldn’t have to wait for another serious incident before action is taken.
“These children and teachers deserve a safe building today.”
The funding, provided by the Department for Education, would be used to address serious issues with the school’s roof after a condition survey found it to be in a severely deteriorated state.
The school temporarily closed last month after water ingress caused ceiling tiles to fall in a classroom leading to more than 230 children having to be picked up by parents.
A mum of a pupil at the school said on Facebook: “Something has to be done to ensure they are safe. It was my son’s classroom where the ceiling fell in.
“School staff acted swiftly to get children safe and have continued to keep parents updated.”
Due to the school being built in 1904, it is listed as a grade II listed building making maintenance repairs more complex.
Roof tiles and other materials have also been reported falling from the building, forcing parts of the playground to be cordoned off to protect pupils and staff.
Headteacher Lucy Atherton recently said to ITV news: “”The ceiling that fell down fell down on top of some chairs where the staff had been sitting moments before, so that was a real concern to make sure that everyone was safe.”
Sheffield Council faces £100m backlog in school repairs | ITV News Calendar
If approved, the emergency work would include installing protective barriers around the roof to catch loose materials, removing damaged suspended ceilings in classrooms, and installing temporary flame-retardant sheeting.
A temporary scaffold roof structure would also be constructed to prevent further weather damage and allow contractors to safely access the building.
A full roof replacement has already been commissioned and is expected to begin next year, but council officials say immediate work is needed to prevent further deterioration.
Dawn Dale, Chair of the council’s Education, Children and Families Committee, said ensuring pupils could continue their education safely was “absolutely vital.”
She added that the work represents an important step in ensuring children feel safe and supported at school.
If the funding is approved, the council says the work will begin as soon as possible.