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'Urgent funding needed to keep school safe' - MP

Carmelo GarciaLocal Democracy Reporting Service
News imageLDRS An aged secondary school building surrounded by woodland. There is a vehicle entrance with a cattle grid on the drive leading up to the school. There is a sign with the school name near the vehicle entrance and a rugby banner attached to the wooden fence. Cars can be seen in the car park surrounding the school.LDRS
Forest of Dean MP Matt Bishop says pupils should not have to worry about leaking roofs

Urgent work is needed to keep a school operational and safe for pupils and staff, an MP has said.

More than 700 people have signed a petition calling for the government to approve funding for a new building for Forest High School in Cinderford, Gloucestershire.

Forest of Dean MP Matt Bishop, who is backing the petition, said the building is unacceptable, with leaky roofs and failing infrastructure. He called for urgent funding to keep the school operational and safe.

The leaders of the trust which runs the secondary school previously said they have invested in the site "to provide the best education for children", and there were no plans to relocate pupils to a new building.

Discussions are under way between the school's current operator South Gloucestershire and Stroud Academy Trust (SGS) and Greenshaw Learning Trust regarding a potential transfer of the school's management.

SGS trustees are expected to vote on the issue this month.

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The Local Democracy Reporting Service reports Bishop said young people and teachers were trying to achieve their "very best" in conditions that were "not good enough".

"Our children should not be expected to learn in buildings where serious concerns continue to exist around safety and infrastructure.

"Our teachers and support staff should not have to battle the condition of the site itself just to deliver lessons and support pupils every single day.

"We need a new building that allows staff to focus on students - not leaking roofs, failing infrastructure or concerns about the condition of the school estate," he added.

News imageMatt Bishop/Labour Head and shoulders shot of Matt Bishop, Forest of Dean MP - he has short dark hair and is wearing glasses, a white shirt and a dark grey blazer. He is sat on a grassy bit of land on a housing estate, with houses and parked vehicles behind him, although the background is blurred.Matt Bishop/Labour
Bishop has also asked the government to give pupils in the Forest of Dean the same opportunities as those in other parts of the country

Greenshaw, SGS and the Department for Education have been approached for comment.

When asked about the potential of the Cinderford site closing, an SGS spokesperson previously said: "The trust has been working with the Department for Education on the future of the schools in the trust and at this stage no formal decisions have been made."

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