The staff and children at Sacred Heart are truly amazing and they were badly let down when they were forced to evacuate their school building in 2023. This is probably the most shocking example in the whole country of how our school buildings were neglected and left to rot by the Conservative Government. The response given to Sacred Heart by that Government after they had to move out of their building was also not good enough and they should have had much more support.

Since being elected I’ve been working with Sacred Heart and Minsters to try and help find solutions. I meet with the school Trust every two weeks to check on progress.

I’m pleased that since I raised this with the Secretary of State in the Autumn the government has committed funds to cover the additional staffing and other costs that the school is incurring. I am also glad to see that the new temporary units have been approved and delivered and am hopeful that the Key Stage 1 children can be moved into the new temps for February Half Term. In addition Ministers have now requested that more information and support is provided to the school, specifically on models for curriculum catch up and recovery, to help the children.

I have also asked for more help to be provided to pay for the additional transport costs required to move the children around their multiple sites.

We must move heaven and earth to support these children and to make sure that their education isn’t disrupted more that it already has been.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/dec/27/two-years-after-evacuation-rotting-cumbria-school-sacred-heart-catholic-school–barrow-in-furness