Fire-hit school bounces back in new premises

One month after a fire tore through a school which teaches children with special educational needs, pupils have settled back into learning across three temporary sites.

The blaze on 22 February left the Promise School in Okehampton, Devon, destroyed and meant staff and families had to readjust while investigations continue into its cause.

Staff have transformed empty and unused rooms at Okehampton College, Wardhayes Sixth Form Centre and Okehampton Primary School into classrooms for all 85 pupils.

Promise School principal Quentin Gunderson said the school had "some fantastic learning spaces and we couldn't be happier".

Gunderson said the makeshift spaces needed an enormous amount of work, there had been donations including books, toys and supplies.

Unused classrooms which were "dirty and dusty" had been cleaned up and the pupils had been given "private and secure" spaces to play, he said.

"As you can imagine for children with our profile of needs, creating just one site has been a challenge, but we've done three," he said.

"Whilst it's not the original school they had, they've got some fantastic learning spaces and we couldn't be happier to be back together as a team with the children, as a little family."

The original school will be demolished, but staff say the focus for now is keeping the children learning, supported and together.

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