Otley Primary School near Ipswich reopens seven months after devastating fire

A village school has opened its classrooms to pupils once again seven months after a devastating fire.

Otley Primary School shut in December after a blaze took hold in a toilet block.

This spread to the roof, forcing the school to shut for the day. Classes were eventually transferred to Witnesham Primary School while repairs took place.

On Friday, nearly seven months after the fire, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to officially reopen the school.

Cllr Andrew Reid, from Suffolk County Council, said: “When faced with such adversity following the fire, the school community reacted with bravery and gumption to find a workable solution for pupils.

“I’d like to offer my gratitude to headteacher Hannah, and her management team for their swift and effective actions to get children back into temporary classrooms at Witnesham Primary School while repairs were carried out.

“I’m very happy to see the school open again and thank the contractors for making this happen.”

In the wake of the fire, temporary classrooms and facilities were quickly installed to offer a safe learning environment.

Work then began to strip away and restore parts of the school damaged by smoke and fire.

The school said children enjoyed the ceremony and were also given an overview of the work, offering insight to potential future careers in the construction sector.

Hannah Evans, joint headteacher of Otley and Witnesham Primary Schools, said the ordeal was an extraordinary opportunity for staff and pupils to come together to maximise learning.

She added: “I am so grateful to our community for the incredible support shown and to the staff and children for their fantastic adaptability and 'can do' attitude.”

The project was headed by Concertus, Vertas, Seamans Building and Suffolk County Council.