Long-awaited repairs to a dangerous school roof are now going ahead with a £2.4 million grant.

The cash - the biggest pay-out to a school in Essex under the Government's New Deal for Schools - is being used to pay for work at Rickstones School, Witham.

Repairs are being carried out to the unstable roof which covers two education blocks, about 60 per cent of the school's entire teaching space.

Scaffolding has already been put up and the next step will be to demolish the dangerous roof and replace it with a new one.

Maintenance work will also be carried out on the remaining buildings at the school in Conrad Road.

It is hoped all the work will be completed by the start of the autumn term. The roof was declared unsafe at the beginning of last year's summer holidays.

Classrooms had to be evacuated and staff raced to get temporary measures set up in time for the start of the September term.

Mobile classrooms were set up in the car park and every spare space within the remaining safe teaching blocks was used.

Essex County Council local education authority negotiated to secure the grant.

Headteacher Norma Turner said: "Everyone at the school and the parents have coped very well. But it has been a great morale booster to see the builders come in. We're very grateful to the education authority.

"Hopefully we will be back to normal by September."

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