After a sinkhole appeared in the playground The City of Edinburgh Council has announced it will remain closed at the beginning of the autumn term in just a couple of weeks.
The council says it is continuing investigations relating to planned energy retrofit works where a small hole is evident next to the main school building. Ground conditions are particularly being put under the spotlight. The school is built in an area where there are historic coal mines and the council is speaking to the Coal Board about the issue.
An action plan will be drawn up in due course, but meantime plans are being drafted to send pupils and staff to other schools in the area when the term begins on 16 August. Nursery school pupils will attend Moffat Early Years Campus, and Magdalene Community Centre is on the site and community groups which use that building will be offered alternatives.
Education, Children and Families Convener, Cllr Joan Griffiths, said: “This is highly unusual but I know parents/carers and the local community will fully understand why we had to take this decision to close the school as a precaution which hasn’t been taken lightly.
“The expert advice we have received from independent engineers is that the site should remain closed until further investigative work has identified the exact nature of the problem. We’ll be working closely with the Coal Authority to establish what has caused this and what the next steps are so we can reopen the site.
“I know this news will be disappointing for everyone affected by the closures however it is the most sensible solution given what has happened. Our education officers are working closely with the school and other Council teams to identify suitable schools so learning and teaching can continue for our young people.
“We have already identified Moffat Early Years Campus for the nursery pupils and are looking at other venues for the groups that use Magdalene Community Centre. We will keep parents/carers updated as our plans develop and will do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum.”
The school will be in direct contact with parents regarding updates and the Council’s emergency school closures web page will be kept updated.
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