CHILDREN from Kenton School have moved into new temporary classrooms while plans for a brand new multi-million pound school take shape.

The youngsters were forced to move out of the village school after it was devastated by flooding last year.

After a year being taught in temporary accommodation at the Hope Centre in Dawlish, the school moved to a new base at Powderham Castle.

But now the children are back on home turf in a temporary set up in their old school’s playing fields.

A school spokesman said: ‘It has been a fantastic first day at our wonderful new school site.’

During the summer, the school triumphed in the Dawlish Library Summer Reading Challenge.

Enthusiastic readers ‘embraced the joy of reading’ over the holidays to top the library challenge.

It has been a year of turmoil for staff and children at the small school but the latest move is a welcome return to the village and closer to their homes until their permanent school is built.

In September it was announced a brand new school is to be replace the flood-hit building through funding secured from the Schools Funding Programme.

This will be for 105 children and a pre-school.

Executive head teacher Lorraine Curry said she was deeply grateful for the funding.

She said: ‘This is not just an investment in bricks and mortar; it’s an investment in the future of our children and the entire Kenton community.

‘We have been through a challenging time, but this new school symbolises hope and resilience.

‘We can’t wait to welcome our children back to a place where they can learn, grow, and thrive.’

The plan is to build a small school, similar to the existing school and to ‘maximise assets for community use’.

The design has not been finalised yet and is still open to change.

The ‘vital’ funding means a complete rebuild following the flooding which caused extensive damage to the current facilities.

This funding, provided by the Schools Rebuilding Programme, marks a significant step forward in the recovery efforts and ensures the children will soon have a safe and modern learning environment.

The flood, September 2023, left the school building severely damaged, forcing the children and staff to move out.

Books, furniture and equipment were destroyed.

Mrs Curry explained: ‘Since then, the community has come together to support temporary measures to continue the education of the children, but the need for a permanent solution has been urgent.’

The rebuilding programme is due to start as soon as possible.

During the construction, children will continue their education in the temporary facilities into which they have now moved, with minimal disruption to their learning.

Mrs Curry said: ‘These events will ensure that the new school reflects the values and needs of the entire Kenton community.’

News of the funding agreement came after the school’s positive Ofsted inspection.

Despite being in temporary accommodation and having to replace resources, inspectors gave a Good rating, praising school leaders, children and the community for tacking the challenges it faced.