Wick campus school closed again due to heating issue
After closing early yesterday, Wick High School (WHS) has announced it will remain closed today (Wednesday, March 16) due to issues with "the water, heating, and power supply".
In a bulletin posted yesterday, the school said: "Please be advised that after today's closure because of issues with the school's heating system, we have been forced to close once more, tomorrow, Wednesday 16th March. Teachers have been asked to provide work online and to be present online, as much as possible, to assist pupils as best they can, according to the school timetable."
Professor Iain Baikie, WHS Parent Council chair, has expressed his disappointment over repeated heating, ventilation and structural issues at the five-year-old school. He said: "I am sure that parents are disappointed by the repeated heating system breakdowns.
"This is very frustrating – this is a new school and clearly the issues were not resolved the first time it occurred. These problems require an urgent response. I hope that Highland Council was sufficiently far-sighted to have financial penalty clauses in the breakdown. They could use use the money to complete the short path to the school athletics field which has been unused for the last five years."
When asked for a comment on the matter a Highland Council spokesperson said: “Wick High School is closed today due to issues with the water, heating, and power supply. It is being investigated at present and parents will be informed by the Head Teacher when the school is due to reopen for pupils.”
The WHS website stated that the school was "hugely apologetic for the inconvenience caused" to all pupils and their parent/carers at this crucial academic time and that it "kindly" asks for the understanding that this not a decision that school staff have ever wanted to make. "The matter lies entirely out with our control."
The announcement comes after a post on Friday stated that there were problems with the heating and as "a result some classrooms may be cooler than normal and measures to assist staff and pupils who are finding the temperature too low are being taken".
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Wick school closes today due to heating issue