Dundee City Council has issued a statement following a blaze which gutted part of a school building.
Braeview Academy went up in flames on Tuesday night at about 9.40pm and has been closed to pupils and staff. Firefighters are still on the scene dealing with “hot spots” at the site.
Police say the blaze is being treated as “unexplained” and have appealed for locals to come forward with information.
On Wednesday afternoon Dundee City Council said the 570 pupils affected would have to be accommodated at other schools in the city as a result of the devastating fire.
Staff are said to be working on a “bespoke timetable” for youngsters using the city’s school accommodation – but added it will “take some time” to put together.
Braeview pupils will be off school into next week as the plans are finalised.
A statement from Dundee City Council said:”The damage to Braeview Academy following last night’s fire is still being fully assessed, but it is clear that the building will be out of commission for some time.
“We are determined to minimise disruption to the pupils’ education, and are looking at all the options available.
“Within hours of the fire, discussions were already taking place with a focus on short-term measures to get the young people back in classrooms.
“Finding the best solution for our 570 pupils is not straightforward, and there are issues to consider around finding suitably equipped classrooms, access to learning materials and canteen facilities, to give just a few examples.
“Taking all that into account, we are working hard to create a bespoke timetable for the coming weeks, using other school accommodation in the city.
“Putting that in place will take some time, and unfortunately means Braeview pupils will remain at home this week and into next.
“Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to resume their classroom learning as soon as possible.
“In the meantime, we would encourage young people to use the online learning available to them through the Glow network. Braeview teachers will also be online to support learning from next week.
“We are grateful to the school’s 80 staff for the part they are playing at what is a very emotional time. A meeting was held with them today, and we will continue to work closely with them in the coming days.
“The staff, the young people and the wider residents of the area form a tight Braeview community, and that spirit and resilience will be more important than ever as we pull together for the benefit of our pupils after this sad incident.
“We will provide further updates as they become available, and a meeting to update parents and carers will be organised for next week.”
