Parents' delight after plans for new St Leonard's school in Durham

Plans to rebuild and demolish RAAC-affected buildings at St Leonard’s Catholic School in Durham were given the green light today (Friday, July 26).

Parents paid tribute to teachers and pupils who have continued to learn and teach during the distressing period. St Leonard’s was one of the country’s worst affected by the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) crisis.

Kathryn Waugh, speaking on behalf of parents and pupils at the meeting, said up to 1,500 children were left without a proper learning environment during the disruption. 

How the new school will look (Image: BAM Construction)

Pupils were sent home, moved to large sports and dining halls, and then relocated to temporary classrooms in tent-like facilities far from their normal classrooms. 

“I cannot convey strongly enough what a difficult time it was for children, staff, and parents,” said Ms Waugh. 

“This situation has caused significant disruption to our children’s education, with academic performance being impacted. There have been substantial impacts on the well-being and mental health of children at the school. 

“The prolonged disruption they have faced is unacceptable. We urgently need to progress to restore normality.”

For Jane Neasham, the planning approval has removed one of the final obstacles in front of everyone impacted.

Speaking after the meeting, she said: “My youngest is in year seven this year and the idea that she could go her entire school life without being in a school building is terrifying.

“It’s been an incredibly surreal and challenging year for the children, parents, and teachers. I can’t imagine a school having much more challenges than ours. 

“You couldn’t make it up, the learning conditions they faced were so extreme. Children had to have lessons in halls without a desk, leaning on their knees trying to write.”

Parents in the community fundraised twice for school staff as a thank-you for their dedication throughout the crisis. 

Ms Neasham added: “I cannot imagine the stress and pressure the staff have been under but every time you speak to them they have been positive and are hopeful. They’ve done everything that they could to welcome and support students through this incredibly anxiety-ridden time.”

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Plans to rebuild and demolish RAAC-affected buildings at St Leonard’s Catholic School in Durham were given the green light on Friday. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

City of Durham’s Mary Kelly Foy was also praised for her decisive action in supporting the school. 

The Labour MP said: “The former Conservative Government may have written them off last year, but I did not and I'm proud of them all.

“The rebuild is the silver lining around a very large, dark cloud that has hung over St Leonard's since August 2023. Staff and pupils thoroughly deserve a top-class environment to teach and learn in. Next, I will be monitoring progress with the build and ensuring the building contractors are good neighbours to residents in the streets around the school.”