School Evacuated Following Fire

Leicester City Council has put in place arrangements to enable pupils at Catherine Junior School to get back to studying, following a fire at their school earlier this month. As of 12 November, schools nearby will accommodate different year groups.

Letters are now being sent to all parents and carers of children at the school explaining where they will be accommodated, both immediately and in the longer term while the school remains out of use.

The arrangements have been put in place for the remainder of the Autumn term:

• 104 pupils in Year 6 - Rushey Mead Secondary School, Melton Road, Leicester, LE4 7PA (welcome meeting on 9 November at 2.00pm)
• 98 pupils in Year 5 - Soar Valley Training Centre, Gleneagles Avenue, Leicester, LE4 7GY (welcome meeting on 9 November at 2.00pm)

• 100 pupils in Year 4 - Rushey Mead Primary School, Gipsy Lane, Leicester, LE4 6RB (welcome meeting on 9 November at 2.00pm)
• 94 pupils in Year 3 - Taylor Road Primary School, Taylor Road, Leicester, LE1 2JP (welcome meeting on 9 November at 9.00am)

The city council is working to establish a new, temporary school on the playing fields of Abbey Community Primary School to be used in 2013 until the existing junior school is recovered or alternative arrangements are put in place.

More information can be found on the Leicester City Council website.

Headteacher, Joy Denning, joined MP for Leicester East, Keith Vaz, today, to asses the damage caused by fire to a school in Belgrave.

Joy Denning explains the extent of the damage caused at Catherine Junior School, and reassures parents that work is being done to help get children back in school.

The MP for Leicester East, Keith Vaz, has today visited a school in his constituency that was badly damaged by fire.

The blaze started in the roof of Catherine Junior School in Belgrave.

It destroyed the school hall, kitchen and damaged many classrooms. Asbestos fibres used for insulation have also contaminated many areas.

The City Council are looking for an alternative venue for the children to learn in while the building is assessed.

A school in Leicester is likely to stay closed for several weeks after asbestos was discovered during a fire.

Structural engineers say they can not assess the damage to Catherine Junior School until the site has been decontaminated.

The council is working with the school to get the pupils back into lessons as quickly as possible.

Leicestershire Fire Service tells ITV Central that a fire at Catherine Junior School in Leicester could have been caused by workmen working on the roof- however the exact cause is still under investigation.

Spokesman for Leicestershire Fire explains what the damage has been to Catherine Junior School ater a fire broke out in the roof space of the building.

It's understood 400 pupils had to be led to safety from Catherine Junior School and taken to the nearby infants school at around 2pm.

At its height 46 firefighters were at the scene.

A building inspector from the city council was on the scene to check the safety of the building.

The fire started in the roof.

Around 40 firefighters are tackling a fire at Catherine Junior School in Leicester.

It broke out this afternoon.

School children and staff were evacuated.

A fire's broken out at a school in Leicester.

It happened at the Catherine Junior School.

All staff and children have been evacuated.

More to follow