Arsonists hit school

A classroom was wrecked in an arson attack at a Black Country school today.

The blaze at Cradley High School, Halesowen, caused smoke and fire damage in a technology workshop.

The school in Homer Hill, which is set to close at the end of term, was open as normal following the fire and staff were starting the clean up this morning.

The alarm was raised at around midnight and two crews from Brierley Hill and Cradley Heath fire stations were sent to the scene.

Deputy headteacher Tony Clayton said: "We don't know exactly how it started but from what the caretaker has said it seems a firework has been pushed through the door.

"The firework has hit some furniture which has been set alight.

"There is a lot of smoke damage and there is a lingering smell of smoke in the corridor," he added.

The school in Homer Hill, which closes at the end of term, was open today following the blaze and lessons for the school's remaining 150 pupils were carrying on as normal.

Mr Clayton said: "We need to have a good clean-up and probably re-paint the room.

"It's a room that's hardly in use so it's not really causing any problems.

"We've taken care to make sure the pupils are not in any rooms where there is a smell of smoke.

"Fortunately, we have the luxury of having plenty of spare."

Two crews from Brierley Hill and Cradley Heath fire stations spent two hours on site bringing the fire under control and dampening down.

Watch commander, Andy Nightingale, from Cradley Heath fire station, said: "At the moment we are treating it as arson and the police are investigating.

"The school has good fire doors so the fire was contained to one area, which helped to stop it spreading further."

The fire comes as another blow for the school, following the council's decision in February last year to close the site after almost 30 years.

The school had fallen £500,000 into the red due to increasing numbers of surplus places.

Parents fought the decision to axe the site, which was made despite 73 per cent of pupils achieving five A to C grades in 2006. Most of the pupils have already transferred to other schools ahead of the closure but the move led to protests over travel arrangements for many families.

Parents accused council chiefs of ignoring the wishes of the community by going ahead with the closure plan.

In September, a mobile classroom was damaged by arsonists who tore a door off its hinges to break into to Moxley Infants in Walsall.

Pupils at a St John's First School in Blakebrook, Kidderminster were left devastated after their outdoor classroom was ravaged by fire in January last year.