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I'm sure that you will have all heard about the drama that took place at the school at lunchtime on Friday 3rd October, when a fire broke out in the school kitchen and we were visited by not only two fire engines, but by an ambulance, a police car and a helicopter circling overhead. It all sounds terribly dramatic, but I would like to assure you all that because of the systems in place at the school, at no time at all were your children in any danger.
An electrical fault was identified as the cause of the fire and the new alarm system that was installed in the summer, quickly identified the problem. The sirens sounded immediately, with the children being evacuated according to our established procedures. After inspecting the kitchen area, it was apparent that smoke was billowing from the loft area and that the crackling of smouldering timber could be heard above. Consequently, the emergency services were called for and the fire crew nullified any threat to the building on their arrival.
The ambulance and police arrived merely as a precaution and the helicopter flew above to take thermal images, so that the source of the problem could be identified. The children were, as you can imagine extremely excited by these events, but I can only praise them for their patience and behaviour in the situation. The staff were also exemplary, in the application of our fire drill procedures.
The delivery of lunch to over fifty children on the school dinners register also proved a problem. However, some fantastic teamwork amongst the staff, saw us able to provide for the children after a swift shopping trip to Tesco and a chain gang of a production line. I'd like to thank the staff of the school and the kitchens for their efforts in making sure that the ‘Gellifor ship' sailed through these rocky waters.
The kitchen, nevertheless, will need to be rewired and restoration work is needed in the loft, so there will be no dinners cooked on site throughout the week. On Monday, all parents are requested to send sandwiches with their children. From Tuesday, the catering department are hoping to bring school meals in from off-site, until normal service can be restored in the kitchen.
There is no electrical supply either in the Community Hall, so we will work with Breakfast Club and the After School Club to ensure that these essential services can continue.
If you have any questions or require any clarification regarding these events, then please do not hesitate in contacting me.
A gallery of photographs depicting the events can be accessed here.
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