Teachers and pupils made a triumphant return to their original school site after the discovery of a chalk mine had forced them into a nine-month exile.
Pinner Wood Primary School officially reopened its doors in Latimer Gardens having spent much of last year at a temporary home in Harrow’s Civic Centre.
They were forced to relocate after a huge mine was discovered underneath its grounds and was deemed too dangerous to allow them to operate as normal.
In spite of this upheaval, it obtained excellent exam results – more than 90 per cent of Key Stage 2 pupils hit the expected standards in reading, writing and maths.
Head teacher Sarah Marriott thanked all who had made the return a reality; praising the tireless efforts of the staff, the priceless cooperation of Harrow Council and the unfaltering optimism of the children.
She said: “In the early days we didn’t even know if it would be possible for us to ever make it back here. It’s a credit to everyone involved and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of the council – in the decision-making, deciding it could be fixed and finding the funding to do it, and also the day-to-day running of our relocation.”
