Katharine Birbalsingh's strictures on school uniform (sturdy black traditional shoes - send us a picture for approval before purchasing if you are not sure), haircuts (must 'comply' with school policy, presumably nothing expressing any personality or ethnic identity allowed) and umbrellas (only black or blue - nothing colourful) have been received with some amusement LINK
However, Birbalsingh's 'high standards' on uniform and behaviour do not seem to apply to the school building where pupils will start at 11am on Monday.
The pupil entrance is through a builders' door and along a wooded boarded narrow passage way that separates pedestrians from building equipment on one side and stacked cabins on the other. The whole of the area beneath the school appears to be covered in building equipment apart from this passage way. As far as I could see this morning there is no play area at all at the moment and more importantly nowhere for the children to assemble in the event of a fire.
They would have to evacuate the building along the wooden boarded narrow passage way and assembly outside on the pedstrianised road.
This morning there was a lot of work going on inside the building but what appeared to be classrooms had no equipment apart from tables and chairs. There may be other rooms hidden from view.
120 excited children, who have waited an extra two weeks for their school to be opened, may well be rather disappointed by what they find when they enter the building for the first time.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN EARLIER TODAY
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| CLASSROOM? |
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| KITCHEN |
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| GROUND LEVEL |
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| GROUND LEVEL - HOARDING PROTECTING PEDESTRIANS (FAR RIGHT) |
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| PEDESTRIAN GATE (WHITE) FOR PUPILS (EXTREME RIGHT) |