‘The lights go out when it rains’ – school rebuilding plan missing targets

Patchway Community School in Bristol was selected for the School Rebuilding Programme in 2021, but is still waiting to be assigned a construction company.

“Sometimes when it’s raining, the light malfunctions and you can barely see anything,” said Year 8 student Faizah.

“When we play games like dodgeball or basketball, some of the balls get stuck up in the roof because of the holes,” said Logan, also in Year 8.

Dave Baker, the chief executive officer of The Olympus Academy Trust, which runs Patchway, said the cracked ceiling in the school gym, like other areas of wear and tear, was “not worth replacing, because the whole thing is going to be knocked down within the next two years”.