PARENTS have slammed the “disgusting nightmare” at their kids’ school after it is flooded with sewage and rainwater.
Pupils have had to wade through sewage and rain has poured through windows at Russell Scott Primary School in Denton, Gtr Manchester.
Steve AllenRussell Scott Primary School in Denton where pupils have had to wade through sewage[/caption]
bbcThe school is battling a serious problem with damp and mould[/caption]
Steve AllenThe playing fields have also been left unusable[/caption]
Steve AllenDad-of-two Robert Sziakal, 37[/caption]
Teachers have had to empty buckets and put sandbags out around the 150-year-old building.
Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville and TV star Carol Vorderman have sent their support to headteacher Steve Marsland over the ordeal at the school.
The school has been plagued by problems since a £2.7million makeover years ago.
It has been flooded more than six times, evacuated for a week over dangerous levels of sewage and the playing fields have been left unusable.
The field is covered in craters and rubble and the carcass of a Mini car was even found buried under it.
Mum Hannah Winstanley, 40, said: “It’s disgraceful how long this has been going on.
We’ve had children paddling in sewage two or three times.
Robert Sziakal
“The council seem to be happy to have little kids wade through sewage in their wellies. I can’t believe this is still happening.
“You see buckets of water everywhere and the kids can’t use the playground.”
Dad-of-two Robert Sziakal, 37, said: “It’s disgusting. My children say they can smell the sewage. It needs sorting out.”
Standing in the playground, head teacher Mr Marsland said: “It’s a nightmare.
“These are working class kids from working class families. It feels like we are being kept in our place.
“If this was a school in a stockbroker area or where Premier League footballers live, this wouldn’t have been allowed to carry on.
“But it is here. We’ve had messages from Gary Neville and Carol Vorderman who said how shocked she was by it.
“It’s scandalous really but we’re creating a stink of our own about it by speaking out. This should not be happening in a British school.”
He told how children were padding in sewage as rain poured through windows.
“We’ve got floods and having to put sandbags against the doors when it rains heavily.
“We’ve had children paddling in sewage two or three times.
“When it first happened, we had little girls, thinking they were doing the right thing, trying to mop it up with paper towels.
“So you can imagine we’ve had health issues, all number of problems with children being exposed to sewage.”
Grandfather Stewart Forth, 67, claimed the “great school” has been “scandalously let down”.
“My kids went here and now I drop my grandchildren off,” he said.
Mum Claire McDivitt, 40, said: “It’s shocking what has happened here.
“Children should be learning not exposed to sewage. Those responsible should hang their heads in shame.”
The work at the school, where nearly half of pupils claim free school meals, was carried out by building giant Carillion between 2013 and 2015.
However Carillion left the school with a catalogue of new problems, including faulty fire doors.
Carillion went bankrupt in 2018 with debts of more than £7 billion.
The school has been left battling the many faults including leaking roofs and heating problems.
A Tameside Council Spokesperson said: “While we share and support the same priorities as the Head Teacher in ensuring pupils have a safe and sound environment to learn, the Local Authority are not responsible for the build of the new school.
“The Department for Education acknowledged in 2022 that Russell Scott primary school has longstanding condition issues, which could only be rectified by a new school, and we understand the DfE will work with the school directly to deliver this.”
The Sun has contacted Russell Scott Primary School and Carillion for comment.
Steve AllenHeadteacher of Russell Scott Primary School Steve Marsland[/caption]
bbcThe school has had sewage in the hallways[/caption]
Steve AllenThe field is covered in craters and rubble[/caption]
Steve AllenMum Hannah Winstanley, 40[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
