A ribbon-cutting celebration took place with pupils, teachers, Suffolk County Council (SCC) and the project team to celebrate the reopening of Otley Primary School.

Following a fire in the pupil toilets before Christmas, classes were relocated to Witnesham Primary School. The power of teamwork between the design team, Concertus, Vertas Property Management team, contractor Seamans Building and SCC quickly saw temporary classrooms and necessary facilities installed to ensure a swift reintegration of children into a safe learning environment.

Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, said: “When faced with such adversity following the fire, the school community reacted with bravery and gumption to find a workable solution for pupils. I’d like to offer my gratitude to headteacher Hannah, and her management team for their swift and effective actions to get children back into temporary classrooms at Witnesham Primary School while repairs were carried out. I’m very happy to see the school open again and thank the contractors for making this happen.”

Hannah Evans, Executive Headteacher at both schools, said: “Our two schools are linked under a shared Headteacher and a single governing body. Although each school retains its own unique identity, this was an extraordinary opportunity for teachers and pupils to come together and maximise learning for all pupils. I am so grateful to our community for the incredible support shown and to the staff and children for their fantastic adaptability and ‘can do’ attitude.”

Annett Thompson, Senior Project Manager at Concertus, said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Hannah, who has been instrumental in our exceptional results on this project. Given the tight timelines, this accomplishment is remarkable and was made possible by outstanding communication and teamwork by all involved.”

Once the temporary classrooms were in place, works to rectify the fire and smoke damage included the complete strip-out of the hallway, toilets, and offices, as well as extensive roof repairs.

Donna Barford, Senior Quantity Surveyor at Seamans Building, said: “It has been a real privilege to be part of the team supporting the school during such a challenging time. From swiftly relocating students to safe temporary classrooms to carefully restoring, refurbishing and enhancing the damaged building, it’s been a pleasure to work closely with the school staff, Concertus and Suffolk County Council to provide a safe and welcoming learning environment for the pupils’ return.”

The children’s excitement was evident during the event, where they not only celebrated the reopening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony but also received an overview of the work that had been done while they were away and an insight into what a future career path in the construction industry might look like.

The success of this project was down to diligent communication among all partners. The team’s emphasis on speed and efficiency ensured the project stayed on schedule, enabling both schools to resume their regular activities seamlessly.

The special guest and gentleman cutting the ribbon is Dennis Whiting, who was a student at the school in 1949.