COUNTY NEWS: School destroyed by fire reopens new '˜temporary teaching village'
In just over two months since the blaze broke out at Selsey Academy, students have now been welcomed back with opened arms.
Headteacher Tom Garfield expressed his ‘delight’ at being able to reunite the school once again.
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Hide AdHe said: “The most important thing is the school community that we have worked so hard to retain.
“This is the 56th working day since the fire it has been a very short turn around – this amount of work would normally take five months.
“Everyone has worked tirelessly to get to this point.”
Parents and students were invited down to see the new teaching facilities on Monday, October 31, before the pupils began school again today (Tuesday).
Mr Garfield added: “I am delighted with the response we have received today from parents, we want the best education for their children and to see today how pleased they are with the outcome shows how far we have come.
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Hide Ad“We have worked hard these past few months to keep lessons the same and retain the sense or normality, but now we will get back our community.”
Assistant headteacher Gemma Hinton added that for the year seven students it will be like a ‘second first day’.
Parents were equally as impressed at the hard work gone into the construction of the new buildings.
Kelly Johnson, parents of year seven student Riley Johnson, said: “After the fire we didn’t even know if there was going to be a school.
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Hide Ad“It will be like starting again for Riley and the other year sevens.
“The facilities are amazing, it is unbelievable how quickly it has fallen into place.”
Gemma Senior agreed: “It is heart warming to see people band together in times like this and work it out for the children.
“At the end of the day their education is the most important thing.”
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