My sons' church primary school shares its assembly/dinner/sports/everything really hall with the church.
The hall and adjacent kitchen building is one of those old fashioned prefab types you used to see in every village. Small for the 170 or so children and teachers. And dangerous. Overhead electric heating in head-touching distance when children use the gym bars. Condensation from cooking makes the wiring unsafe for a whole day afterwards.
The school have long campaigned for a new hall. Both lottery funding and LEA funding campaigns have failed. Access to the site of a new hall is difficult and this pushes up the cost.
The church has now decided to ban the school from using the hall. I have heard that this is partly a political move to force the council's hand into funding a new hall for the school. The church govenors are also worried about the insurance implications of the unsafe, outdated hall being used by so many adults and children. They have now put a ban on all school events - fetes, plays etc - in the hall.
Children can no longer have school dinners in the hall and there is no kitchen anyway, so all of them must eat a packed lunch. Last week they ate outside in the rain on benches and tables. Some tables had large umbrellas but many didn't. It was cold and really damp - we are not talking light drizzle.
I can understand what the school and church are doing in forcing the council's hand, but I am very worried that my sons are eating their lunch in these conditions and I dread to think what will happen in the autumn.
Do you think the school and church have any chance in getting the council to fund a hall by doing this? I really want to school to have a better hall but not at the expense of my sons eating in the rain at lunchtime for months and months. Do you think I should complain and if so to the school or to the council?
PS I am a regular mumsnetter - you might guess who I am...
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eating packed lunches outside in the rain
26 replies
concord · 09/07/2004 23:14
OP posts:
Batters ·
10/07/2004 12:32
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