Mark Francois, Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford, and Sir James Duddridge KCMG, Member of Parliament for Rochford and Southend East, met with Mr Osborn, the Headteacher of the recently reopened King Edmund School on Friday 27th January.

The King Edmund School was closed in November following the discovery of Asbestos within rubble on the site. Since the closure, both Members of Parliament have worked closely with the King Edmund School staff and the Department for Education to ensure the school was reopened safely as soon as possible, which subsequently occurred on Monday 23rd January.

During the meeting, Mr Osborn provided an update to the Members of Parliament on how the first week since the reopening has been for staff and pupils as they return to their classrooms.

Following the meeting, Mark said:

“Both my friend and neighbour, Sir James and I were involved in numerous virtual meetings with DfE officials, Cllr Tony Ball from Essex County Council and Schools Minister, Nick Gibb MP, to press for the asbestos to be cleared as soon as possible, so that the school could safely reopen for the benefit of pupils, parents and staff alike.

I am very pleased that this has now been successfully accomplished, after much work all round.”

Sir James added:

“I was pleased to hear that the reopening of the King Edmund School has been going well. It was reassuring to see that school attendance was high and pupils were keen to return to their classrooms to learn.

“I would like to thank all staff at King Edmund School for the dedication and support that they have provided pupils with since the closure.”