School confident of fast return to class after fire

The headteacher of a school that caught on fire on Sunday has said students will start online learning on Wednesday but he was "confident" face-to-face learning would return soon.

Principal Quentin Gunderson began working as headteacher at the Promise School, -which teaches children with special educational needs in Okehampton, Devon, at the start of January.

Gunderson said staff had been "working really hard" since the fire preparing learning packs which were delivered by hand to affected families.

He said: "We've got some devices being taken out to parents and to children so they can access those where they don't have them, so we're doing our best to continue learning for our students."

Gunderson said pupils from "across the county" attended the school so getting the learning packs delivered had been a "logistical exercise".

He said parents and families had reacted positively and he was encouraged by their support. "I feel we will be stronger, we will get through this," he said.

The Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust previously said online learning provision would be provided in the short-term while it developed "contingency arrangements" with Devon County Council and The Department for Education.

On Monday, Devon and Somerset Fire Service said 100% of the school's roof and first floor along with 80% of the ground floor had been "severely damaged".

Gunderson said: "The response from the education community has been just overwhelming.

"Actually today (Tuesday) I've been driving around Devon with some of our trust leaders looking at some of those buildings that are vacant, looking at different options."

He said the plan would be to keep the children together on the same site.

"We've got a few solutions which we will be able to release details of in the next couple of days once those have been finalised," he said.

"We are confident that face-to-face learning can return quite soon."

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