School accused of leaving kids to chill

3:00pm Friday 15th March 2013 in Echo News By Luke Lambert

Parents and children are calling for the school to take immediate action Parents and children are calling for the school to take immediate action

ANOTHER Basildon school has been accused of allowing children to chill in classrooms due to broken heating.

Parents of children at The Willows primary School in Church Road, Basildon, claim their children are having to wear coats in class because the heating has been broken since December.

Portable heaters have been brought in by Essex County Council to try and warm things up, but the recent cold snap has brought the matter to a head.

Kate Poulton claims her 11-year-old daughter Ella Wells developed tonsilitis after sitting in cold classrooms.

Miss Poulton said: “I cannot believe we are three months down the line and the school heating hasn’t been fixed. Ella says the school has been cold but she has really noticed it in this weather. The school should be closed if children are sitting in coats.”

The Echo recently revealed how parents were pulling their children out of Cherry Tree primary school in Church Road, Vange, because its heating had also failed.

Willows headteacher Dave Bridge says heaters have been in place in all affected classrooms.

He said: “The local authority have installed a whole new heating system before repairs take place in the summer. If I felt areas of the school were not warm enough I would close that part of the school. I have done it before and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “Essex County Council worked closely with the school to install heaters as soon as the heating failed in December. The heating pipework needs to be replaced but this work cannot be done during term time as it would cause major disruption to the education of the pupils."

Comments(15)

crash helmet says...
3:11pm Fri 15 Mar 13

"Kate Poulton claims her 11-year-old daughter Ella Wells developed tonsilitis after sitting in cold classrooms."

I'm fairly sure that's not how one contracts tonsillitis.

Still...fix the **** heating, and learn how to use the spellchecker echo writers!

Report this post »

MHWoods says...
3:23pm Fri 15 Mar 13

Why close the school when the children are sitting in coats? Can you not learn when wearing a coat??

Report this post »

perini says...
3:40pm Fri 15 Mar 13

I remember doing exams in the 'winter of discontent' (1973) wrapped up in layers and having hot water bottles etc.

Report this post »

smiffy1980 says...
3:41pm Fri 15 Mar 13

so what - its a bit cold. What does that matter.

And Kate, your child DID NOT get tonsilitis because she was cold. Get a grip

Report this post »

mr_happy says...
3:55pm Fri 15 Mar 13

We are renovating out property and have been since October. We have had no heating over the winter and have worked in temperatures of 3 degrees and the bedroom gets down to 7 degrees. It has not done us any harm and we have not been ill for the first time in a few years. If your heating breaks down, do you leave home? No... So stay at school.

Report this post »

VictoriaLS says...
3:58pm Fri 15 Mar 13

My son is in a demountable classroom and the heating wasn't working on that at the beginning of the week. They sat in coats - he said he was so cold he could hardly write.

But at the end of the day - in the "old days" when central heating wasn't invented - what did the kids do then? Did they have fires in the classroom?

Report this post »

John T Pharro says...
4:04pm Fri 15 Mar 13

Knowing the Head Dave Bridge when he was Head at Leighbeck Juniors he would ensure everything possible was done to ensure the children weren't put at any risk. The parents should be grateful the school stayed open to educate their children.

Report this post »

MHWoods says...
4:06pm Fri 15 Mar 13

VictoriaLS wrote:
My son is in a demountable classroom and the heating wasn't working on that at the beginning of the week. They sat in coats - he said he was so cold he could hardly write.

But at the end of the day - in the "old days" when central heating wasn't invented - what did the kids do then? Did they have fires in the classroom?
Yes they did. No Health and Safety you see.

Report this post »

Cosmo Spring says...
4:54pm Fri 15 Mar 13

chill out!

Report this post »

ORACUS says...
9:43pm Fri 15 Mar 13

They should fix the heating and stop making excuses.

Report this post »

Devils Advocate says...
10:50pm Fri 15 Mar 13

I think the minimum temperature for sedentary work has been 16 degrees C for many years now. If it applies to adults, why then not to children? This modern attitude of making children "Poke up with it" doesn't bode well. I hope all the mums and dads of these kids who sit at computers all day are happy to just "Get on with it" when their bosses decide to switch the heating off and tell them to do the same! We'll see.

Report this post »

Carnabackable says...
2:51pm Sat 16 Mar 13

Get 'em doing some exercises, they'll soon warm up........

Report this post »

Audioman says...
5:00pm Sat 16 Mar 13

Don't get the 'odd job'or the 'Care taker 'to do it get someone in WHO KNOWS WHAT he doing

Report this post »

Gay Ray says...
5:36pm Sat 16 Mar 13

I'm sure if it were that bad the teaching staff would have walked out by now.

Report this post »

A.N.Other says...
10:19am Sun 17 Mar 13

Most kids are obese according to the Government so their extra layers of flab should insulate the little porkers.

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree