Cwmcarn High School's asbestos closure 'temporary' - head (From Campaign Series)
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Cwmcarn High School's asbestos closure 'temporary' - head
6:20pm Sunday 14th October 2012 in News
By David Deans, Reporter
THE closure of a Valleys comprehensive school over asbestos worries is temporary and will be resolved, its headteacher has said.
Cwmcarn High School’s headteacher Jacqui Peplinski sought to reassure parents after the school was shut on Friday while an asbestos investigation is conducted.
Parents took to the Argus website to vent their frustrations over the short notice of the closure, with one saying it had been handled “terribly”.
On Friday Caerphilly council decided to shut the school until further notice to safeguard the “health and wellbeing“ of Cwmcarn’s 937 pupils after it received a structural report on the school.
Ms Peplinksi wrote on the school’s website: “The school closure is a temporary situation and the matter will be resolved.”
She said staff would meet tomorrow] to examine the situation and prioritize solutions for examination classes, and said the school will work with the council over the week to discuss options.
“The learners are the heart of the school and we remain committed to the children’s education. Please note that I received the news at 2:45 today and did not have time to write to parents,” wrote the headteacher.
She assured parents she will communicate with them via the website and letters.
But a poster on our website, TanyaW, who has three children at Cwmcarn High School, wrote on Friday night there was at, that time, no information on the school’s website.
“This has been handled really terribly! If alternate arrangements are made, I hope they take into account putting siblings and friends together,” she said.
Jones-i3 wrote he was the parent of a pupil doing GCSEs and another doing A-Levels: “Cwmcarn are very poor at communicating, all the kids found out via Facebook, and are very worried!”
Work had been going on at the school for a while, according to Jesswady, while LL3W80 said: “Thoroughly disgusted with the school over this. My son literally only just found out about it because I spotted it on Facebook.”
Cwmcarn councilor Ken James said he understood the decision was taken for the safety of children and staff: “When all said and done, safety is paramount.“
Comments(6)
jones-i3
says...
9:52pm Sun 14 Oct 12
JWG1967
says...
7:54am Mon 15 Oct 12
sherrie
says...
9:37am Mon 15 Oct 12
Cwmderi
says...
10:56am Mon 15 Oct 12
Doesn't the council have its own register of all our schools that are suspect to asbestos and therefore should have been aware of any problems before they were exposed?
Late Friday afternoon sounds very suspicious
I understand that the Cabinet Member for Education lives close by in Risca but has remained silent on this matter, when she really should be taking the lead and fully informing and updating parents on a daily basis.
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It also looks as if the Education Minister might have his plan to reduce surplus places in Caerphilly county schools. At least until the asbestos problem has been sorted at Cwmcarn and the pupils and staff return.
lisann
says...
11:33am Mon 15 Oct 12
Cwmderi wrote:yes, I have to agree with you totally! They have been looking to close a Caephilly school and now here is their chance, they have many many surplus places in Risca Comp, but Cwmcarn was everybodies first choice. I just hope that my 2 children are'nt innocent victims of Caerphilly County politics!
Does the whole school have to close if asbestos has been found in one area?
Doesn't the council have its own register of all our schools that are suspect to asbestos and therefore should have been aware of any problems before they were exposed?
Late Friday afternoon sounds very suspicious
I understand that the Cabinet Member for Education lives close by in Risca but has remained silent on this matter, when she really should be taking the lead and fully informing and updating parents on a daily basis.
.
It also looks as if the Education Minister might have his plan to reduce surplus places in Caerphilly county schools. At least until the asbestos problem has been sorted at Cwmcarn and the pupils and staff return.
alexman1 says...
7:38pm Sun 14 Oct 12