Oxfordshire school partially closed as building ‘crumbling’

Langtree School in Reading Road, Woodcote, had to put in ‘temporary arrangements’ for pupils to keep learning on-site as parts of the school estate have had to be closed.

Freddie van Mierlo MP visited the school following a meeting with its representatives in Parliament to discuss the building damage, and said he was ‘shocked’ by the situation.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire firefighters back strike action over cuts

The Henley and Thame MP said: “It was a great to follow up a recent Langtree’s visit to Parliament with a return meeting at the school in Woodcote.

Freddie van Mierlo and headteacher Mr Bamford at Langtree School (Image: Contributed)

“I was shocked to see the full extent of the roof damage they had described to me in Westminster Hall.

“With fallen masonry strewn across a classroom formerly used as a drama studio it was clear to me that teachers were right to act quickly and close off a large proportion of the school.

“They desperately need the funding now to fix the issue of crumbling concrete.”

As well as the drama studio, the school’s staff room is among the ‘key spaces’ which are no longer accessible, and day-to-day teaching and learning has had to be relocated on the site.

Freddie van Mierlo MP (left) investigating the damage with headteacher Mr Bamford (Image: Contributed)

READ MORE: Oxfordshire pothole compensation payouts rise 545 per cent

Mr van Mierlo added: “I was also struck by the professionalism of the staff in handling a difficult situation in accommodating classes in other parts of the school.

“The loss of the staff room must be a real blow to morale and wellbeing. I think we can all understand the need for teachers to have their own space to retreat to with a cup of tea during the day.

“I have given the school my full support in their bid for funding from the Department for Education.

“I know that after more than ten years of Tory cuts competition for capital funding is fierce but there can scarcely be a more important investment than our children’s futures.”

Langtree School was previously a community school but became an academy in 2012.

It now has around 50 teachers educating more than 600 boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 16.

The site was previously closed on two occasions last year for ’emergency building work’, in both November and December, though no further reason was given for these closures and it is not known if the ongoing building damage is related.

The school has been approached for comment.