Broken heating closes school for six days (From Enfield Independent)

Broken heating closes Broomfield School in Arnos Grove for six days

12:09pm Tuesday 29th January 2013 in News By Hermione Wright

More than 1,000 students have been off school for six days after the school’s heating system packed up in freezing conditions.

The majority of Broomfield School's 1,173 students were sent home on the afternoon of Monday, January 21, when its heating stopped working due to an underground leak. 

Headteacher of the school in Wilmer Way, Arnos Grove, Peter Travis, remains unsure when the problem will be fixed but hopes students will be able to return to their lessons by the end of this week.

He said: "It is with deep regret that from Monday afternoon of last week, we have had to close the school to most pupils and students. 

"This has been due to a failure of the main central heating system at this particularly cold time of the year.

"We are all deeply concerned that we have had to close the school.

"We wish that the situation might be otherwise but we cannot jeopardise the health of the children in our care by teaching them in unheated classrooms in freezing conditions.”

He said the situation is “particularly frustrating” as the school did not close due to last week's snow and staff are working with Enfield Borough Council to resolve the difficulties as rapidly as possible.

Mr Travis explained it is unfortunate it has taken a number of days to trace the leak but work is underway to isolate the problem before fixing it.

He added some students have attended school as a small number of warm rooms are available, and letters have been sent to parents explaining how students can study at home.

The broken heating has not been enough to put a stop to exams, which have gone ahead as usual.