Derry’s Nazareth House PS temporarily closed due to concerns over roof following safety inspection
The principal of Nazareth House Primary School has expressed sadness after the school was temporarily closed over concerns about the safety of its roof.
Addressing pupils directly Mrs. Róisín Blackery said: “Yesterday some building experts came into out school to check the roof and unfortunately they discovered the roof isn't very safe and as soon as I heard that I asked about the safety of all of our children under the roof.
“We decided the building experts need to do a wee bit more work and bit more checking before we know what is safe for you.”
Emergency meetings are taking place at present to address the matter.
"There are big, big meetings happening this morning with big bosses in different areas of education and lots of people are trying to figure out a way to get us all back together as soon as possible,” said Mrs. Blackery.
Sinn Féin Foyle MLA Pádraig Delargy who has been in contact with the school said: “We will do everything we can to support the Nazareth House Primary School and Nursery Unit. This is a deeply upsetting time for staff, parents and pupils, particularly in the run up to Christmas.
“I want to pay tribute to Mrs. Blackery and the staff for their diligence and resolve during this very testing time.”
SDLP MP Colum Eastwood said he was in touch with the Education Minister Paul Givan to ask him to ensure the needs of pupils and parents are met.
"The staff at the school are doing a first class job making the safety of the children an absolute priority and I know these decisions will be weighing on them. I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure they get the support they need as well,” he said.
An Education Authority (EA) spokesperson said: "On the advice of the Education Authority's maintenance service, Nazareth House Primary School in Derry/L'derry has temporarily closed.
"This follows investigatory assessment of roofing structures at the school premises.
"We are urgently prioritising remedial works to allow the school to reopen as soon as possible.
"This is unfortunately the latest example of children's education being disrupted due to deterioration in the school estate.
"We are deeply concerned at the growing school maintenance and repair backlog across NI due to lack of funding for the education sector.
"As a result of current budgetary restrictions, we are only able to carry out emergency maintenance works.
"This is an increasingly unsustainable position. Without significantly increased levels of funding, school buildings will continue to decline, increasing the potential for further disruption to classes."
The Catholic Council for Maintained Schools confirmed the closure was a ‘precautionary measure’ taken ‘to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and staff, which remains an absolute priority’.
"The school are working closely with the EA, the Department of Education and the CCMS to assess the situation and to put appropriate interim arrangements in place.
"We understand that this situation is concerning for families, and we are committed to keeping the school community fully informed as further information becomes available. As the assessment process is ongoing, we will share confirmed details as soon as they are formally provided to us.
"We thank parents, staff, and wider school community for their patience and understanding,” CCMS said in a statement.