A special school for deaf children in Bolton has closed for the rest of the school year on safety grounds after a damage caused by a water leak led to concerns about asbestos in the building.
The material - present in many buildings of similar age - could be disturbed during repair work at Thomasson Memorial School in Bolton following a water leak earlier this month.
Pupils have been learning at home since but Bolton council say alternative venues have now been found and that face-to-face classes will resume next week.
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A spokesperson said: “We want to thank the staff, parents and pupils at Thomasson Memorial Special School for their patience and support in recent weeks.
“A great deal of work has gone into finding a suitable alternative venue for the school and we are pleased that face to face learning can resume from next week.
“We want to reassure everyone that undisturbed asbestos poses no health risk.
“The council has robust management plans for incidents like water leaks and we carry out regular maintenance surveys of all school buildings to ensure everyone’s safety.
“In line with these plans work has already started to assess and repair the damage so teachers and pupils can return to the school.”
A letter sent out by children's services deputy director Paul Rankin to councillors said: "We carry out regular maintenance and asbestos surveys to ensure all our school buildings are safe and there are robust management plans in place to deal with situations like this.
"Following incidents such as a water leak, certain remediation works are required to ensure the building is safe for everyone to use. Given the importance and complexity of this work, it is anticipated that the site will be out of use for much of the remaining school year."
The Halliwell UCAN Centre is to be used for a temporary site for Key Stage 2-4 pupils, and the nearby Guiding Headquarters building on Shepherd Cross Street for Early Years and Key Stage 1. The Guide building will be in use from Monday 24 and the UCAN Centre from Wednesday 26.
