Wheldon Infant and Nursery School pupils devastated as outdoor classroom destroyed

Wheldon Infant School and Nursery on Francis Street in Castleford, was broken into in the early evening of Wednesday, October 5 with the intruder setting fire to their outdoor learning area, completely destroying everything from the wooden hut to children’s wellies.

School office manager, Vikki Till, said: “We are all so upset. Whoever did this set fire to everything – even the children’s wellies and waterproof overalls were thrown on the fire.

"It’s so upsetting for staff and pupils. We held an assembly on Friday morning to explain to the children what has happened.”

The Forest School is an outdoor, timetabled resource that the whole school uses for outdoor education.

Vikki said: “There was a hut with a roof and a bench and table, so, regardless of the weather, children were able to learn outdoors. They took part in things like bug hunts and story time.

"It was always the highlight of their week. They all loved it and now it’s been totally destroyed.

"It had taken around five years to get it set up and at a cost of around £10,000 with all the landscaping, furniture and resources.

"The children are so upset and all the staff are all devastated.

"The sad thing is, whoever did this hasn’t just damaged the hut and the furniture, they’ve also thrown the children’s wellies and waterproof overalls into the fire.

"It’s not as though it was just someone who was walking past and broken in. It’s a dead-end street – they've come in with some level of intent.

"They know it’s a school, they know what they were taking away from the children.”

Determined to rebuild, Vikki said the response the school has had from parents and the local community as a whole has been overwhelming.

"We’ve had parents, businesses and landscapers all getting in touch with us offering their help. We’re genuinely blown away by the generosity of people,” she said.

"The community has been so quick to respond. Everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment, but they are offering their materials, their time.”

The school is now assessing the damage, taking stock of what has been lost, making the area safe again and seeing if any of the damaged trees are salvageable or have to be taken down.

“We will rebuild it as soon as possible for the children, but there is a certain level of apprehension – will the culprit come back? Should we install CCTV?

“It’s something we now have to think about, but it’s all an added expense. Our budget should be spent on pupils’ learning, not on unnecessary repairs.

"But we are determined to rebuild. And when we do, we will make it better than ever for the children.”