BAFSA Focus - May 2020

A tale of two schools Irreplaceable losses sunday 2 5 th august 2019 was a day that will remain in the memory of many people in Dunfermline and have a lasting effect on them and their families. At 1705hrs Scottish Fire and Rescue were called to a fire in Woodmill Secondary School in Dunfermline, the rapidly spreading fire would require the attendance of fifteen fire appliances to bring it under control.

There was significant damage to the building which required the relocation of 1400 pupils to other schools and temporary accommodation.

The school also housed a Department of Additional Needs, this unit was absolutely essential for pupils with special needs both physical and mental, the requirements for these pupils were not so easy to accommodate elsewhere both in terms of travel, special equipment and special access requirements.

The local council also highlighted an additional accommodation problem, there had recently been a lot of new built housing in Dunfermline, this had impacted on the ability of the nearby schools to accommodate the 1400 displaced pupils.

Within nine days Fife Council announced plans to build a new £150m educational campus to replace Woodmill and two other facilities, unfortunately the new campus will not be ready until 2024.

In January, part of the old school was reopened using refurbished classrooms and temporary classrooms and it was hoped that many of the pupils would have been able to return to the site by Easter. Sadly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic all schools in Scotland were closed as from the 18th March as was all construction therefore delaying the temporary accommodation and the new campus.

The effect on the pupils and parents was devastating, one mother who had two children with special needs attending the school described the impact the fire had on them.

She said, “The past year has taken its toll and caring for them at home without the school had been immensely stressful.” Talking about her 11 year old daughter, she added her daughter was worried about making the transition from P7 to S1 during lockdown, academically she’s doing alright but socially it’s destroying her. “My son’s special needs mean he is very anxious as well as highly tactile so he may have to stay at home for another year.”

As is often the case with school fires, the damage is more than just structural, the trauma for pupils and teachers can be extensive, the loss of materials and memories are irreplaceable together with the social networks which are broken due to relocation in different areas.

Following the fire, a fourteen-year-old boy was charged with wilful fire raising.