TORRENTS of water, streaming through the roof of Dunblane High School, forced teachers to send kids home as a freak storm hit the city on Monday.

 

Pupils were sent home just after lunch and staff could be seen emptying buckets of water out the front entrance all afternoon.

Stirling Council has blamed downpipes, unable to cope with excessive water levels, for the flooding. But it is not the first time the school has had problems with leakages and pupils say bin bags have been used for months to stop water seeping into the building.

School children were allowed back into the school on Tuesday morning but parents have expressed disbelief at the problems which are occurring only two years after the school was opened.
One parent who did not want to be named, said: “This is not the first time there have been leaks in the roofs.

“It is really disappointing given how new the whole school is. But it just demonstrates the cheap materials and workmanship the building was constructed with.”

Another parent who contacted the Allanwater News, said: “Everyone in Dunblane was caught in the downpour but I don’t see the rest of us up to our ankles in rain water.

“My home isn’t flooded out - and I don’t know anyone else who had problems with their drains.

“So how such a new school, made with state of the art materials, can crumble the way it has is a mystery to me.”

The Allanwater News photographed a pile of rubble that had been dumped at the front of the school but Stirling Council say the damage to the building is only superficial.

 

A spokeswoman for the council said: “The internal paintwork has been affected and some ceiling tiles soaked.

 

“These were put at the front door awaiting removal and this has been done.

 

“Redecoration will be done by the facilities management company over the summer holiday.  

 

“The structure of the building has not been compromised in any way and all steps will be taken to ensure that there is no recurrence.

 

“While the school has experienced some water ingress previously - this is common with most new buildings of this size and complexity and these have been minor in comparison to the water ingress experienced yesterday.

 

“Pupils have returned to their normal classes and we do not foresee any disruption to learning and teaching for the remainder of the term.”

 

She also said the school turned off the electricity supply to parts of the building and decided to close the school on the grounds of health and safety.

 

However, parents have expressed concern that pupils were sent home even although the downpour had not subsided

 

One father, who also did not want to be named, said: “They should have waited a little longer and kept the kids in the school instead of sending them out to get drenched.

 

“The rain and hail started at 1pm and the kids were on their way home 45 minutes later.

 

“If the school had just waited for the rain to ease off a bit, then send them all home, that would have been far better for all concerned.”