Gateshead school forced to closed as flash flooding damages 70% of site

• CCTV footage from Grace College captures the moment the school flooded

A school has been forced to close for at least two weeks due to severe flooding.

An estimated 70% of the building at Grace College in Gateshead has been damaged after flash flooding in the area on Sunday 10 September.

The sports hall, assembly hall, reception areas, main corridor and ground-floor classrooms were among the areas to be damaged while there are also issues with the site's exterior.

CCTV footage captured the moment the school flooded with the sheer volume of water proving to be unstoppable.

The school has been closed since Monday as a result with all teaching moved online.

It is currently unclear how long it will take for teaching to return to normal but it is hoped some face-to-face teaching can resume on Monday 25 September. However, it could take months for some parts of the site to be restored and fully operational again.

Lead principal Matt Waterfield thanked staff, students and their families for their understanding during the disruption.

He said: “It has been a very challenging few days for everyone in the Grace College community and our thoughts have been in particular with those students in Year 7 whose transition to secondary school has been so disrupted by the events of Sunday afternoon.

“Students have been very impressive when engaging with remote learning and whilst this has been a challenge for everyone we are certain that many young people have continued to grow in knowledge and develop in understanding this week.

“A return to face-to-face teaching is a top priority for us and staff are working flat-out to explore the quickest and most effective way towards at least a partial opening of the college.

"We hope to be in a position to communicate details of this by the middle of next week.”

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