MORE than a dozen Wyre Forest schools are closed today following a massive factory fire in Kidderminster yesterday. 

Schools cannot safely open due to ventilation issues following advice to residents is to keep all windows and doors closed.

Here is the full list of closed schools:

  • Baxter College
  • Birchen Coppice Academy
  • Cookley Sebright Primary School
  • Foley Park Community Primary School
  • Franche Community Primary School
  • Heronswood Primary School
  • Holy Trinity Free School
  • King Charles I School & Sixth Form Centre
  • Offmore Primary School
  • St Ambrose's Catholic Primary School
  • St Catherine's CE Primary School
  • St George's CofE School, Kidderminster
  • St Mary's CE Primary School, Kidderminster
  • St Oswald's CE Primary School
  • Sutton Park Community Primary School
  • Wolverley CE Secondary School
  • Wolverley Sebright Primary School
  • Wyre Forest School
  • The Beacon Primary PRU's Kidderminster site will also be closed

Chris King, chief executive of the Severn Academies Educational Trust which has two of the affected schools, Baxter College and Wolverley Sebright Primary Academy, said they were following advice from the county’s critical incident team.

He said: “Closing schools is a decision never taken lightly but the health and safety of our children and staff is always our over-riding concern.”

In a message to parents, Baxter College principal Matthew Carpenter said: “We have been advised to keep doors and windows shut so we cannot adequately ventilate our classrooms to meet the requirements of our Covid-19 risk assessment.

“We will endeavour to set work on Google Classroom or by email during the day.”

He also urged parents to email the school if they had any questions or needed support.

Wolverley Sebright Primary Academy headteacher Shelley Reeves-Walters added there was a smell of smoke at the school this morning and a small amount of debris that appeared to be pieces of charred tyre and tarmac were found on the playground.