Bishop Visits Flood-Devastated School in Gloucester

The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Rev Michael Perham, visited a local school devastated by the on Wednesday.

St David's Primary School in Moreton-in-Marsh has had its classrooms, school hall and playgrounds completely ruined after flood waters engulfed the area, reports This is Gloucestershire.

The Head teacher of the school, Bob Forster, accompanied the Bishop during his visit, and expressed his determination to get the school open again as quickly as possible. He explained: "The first reaction is one of shock, but that soon turns to resolve. We aren't going to let a flood beat us."

He declared: "There's a sign on the gate saying the school will be open in September and it will be."

|QUOTE|When the floods hit the school last Friday a majority of the school children were not on the premises, as the summer holidays had already begun just the day before. However, there were a number of children attending a school club that had to be evacuated out of a school window, along with staff attending a teacher training day.

According to This is Gloucestershire, Bishop Perham, who had only just visited the school one month before, said: "I've seen it lively, with children running around. It was a marvellous school.

"To see it like this is devastating, but there's still a spirit running through the place. It's clear to me that this school will be running by September. But at the moment that path seems a long one."

Chairman of governors Neil Sullivan told This is Gloucestershire: "Everyone is shocked by the sheer level of the water. It's deeper than the children are tall.

"I've never seen anything like this before."