Heavy rainstorms have badly flood-damaged a primary school, causing thousands of pounds of damage, writes Sue Corcoran.
Ceilings were brought down, the main IT room damaged and five classrooms affected at All Saints Primary School in Norreys Avenue.
And the waterlogging was so severe that it took THREE people to lift a sodden PE mat from the wooden flooring.
To combat the damp, the school hired two wet vacs and three dehumidifiers from FTH Hire Group in Farnborough, who gave the school a discount and delivered first thing this morning.
It is thought that the dehumidifiers will probably need to run all weekend.
Parents have also been calling the school to offer help to clear up the damage.
Two classes have been moved to work in the dining room.
Speaking to The Wokingham Paper, Headteacher Jacqui Kearney said today: “We’ve had a lot of damage, costing thousands of pounds. In the main hall the ceiling came down: we’re hoping the new parquet floor isn’t damaged.
“Five classrooms and corridors were affected. Two classes are working in the dining room. All the pupils are still in school. We’re very resilient and just keep going but it’s all hands on deck.”
Up all night
“At 2.30am this morning the site controller Gus Lawrence came in because the alarm went off. He’s been up most of the night and he’s still here now clearing up. We have machines sucking up the water and dehumidifiers working.
“We can still use the IT but the systems engineer is coming in. Our back-up system has been affected.
“The rain came through the roof. We also have internal down pipes in our 70s building. The rain was too much for them and the water came up through the drains under the floor.”
