A parent frustrated over the ongoing closure of Jesmond Park Academy has launched a petition demanding answers.

Jon Bryan started the change.org petition on Sunday to call on the Gosforth Group multi-academy trust, which runs the school, to hold a meeting with parents to explain the reasons for the delay in reopening.

The Heaton school shut on October 19 after its roof suffered "extensive damage" during Storm Babet. Since then pupils have been learning from home, with parents urged to check the school's website daily for updates on when the school might reopen.

Last week, Jesmond Park Academy said it hoped to open on Wednesday, November 8, but the school announced yesterday (November 6) that it would remain shut after "more significant concerns were raised regarding the safety of the building."

Parent Jon, who has two teenage children at the school, said parents are frustrated by the lack of information and the time it is taking to find a solution.

"All we are asking for is for the Gosforth Group to call a meeting and explain to us what is going on," he said.

"So many parents and carers have expressed their frustration to me, and I thought those frustrations needed to be given a voice. Many parents and carers have clearly been frustrated with the way that this has been handled, and there are very few answers being offered by the Gosforth Group."

The petition has attracted more than 100 signatures and a number of comments from parents sharing their anger over the continued closure. One parent said: "The school building has been closed for weeks now. No excuse for the owners not getting it fixed and open by now."

Another commented: "Normally I would defend the teachers and the leadership as I think they have a really tough job, but this experience has been very poor."

Jon said there seemed to be no urgency to reopen the school and said the Gosforth Group was failing pupils.

"This is an exam year for hundreds of children, and no one at the trust seems to be thinking strategically about what could and should be done," he said.

"Nobody wants their children and the staff to go into an unsafe building, so other alternatives need to be looked at. The fact that no one has come up with any solutions as yet can only lead us into thinking that the Gosforth Group is failing the families of the east end of Newcastle."

In a statement on the Jesmond Park Academy website on Monday, the Gosforth Group said it was aware updates to parents were "not as detailed as many would like" and said more surveys were being carried out on the roof.

"Following further detailed scrutiny from our structural engineer of the report provided by the site operator, more significant concerns have been raised regarding the safety of the building," it said.

"As a result, additional surveys/inspections are required to provide assurances as to the safety of some of the roof detail around the building. Please make plans for the school to remain closed for the rest of this week.

"This is the news none of us wished to hear, but the safety of students and staff is, clearly, a priority. We understand that the information being conveyed to parents and guardians is not as detailed as many would like, but this will be addressed later when a much fuller report is provided to you.

"We are aware that, “we will keep you updated” is becoming a tired phrase for many, but we are not able to divulge more information at this point."

Jesmond Park Academy has been contacted for comment about the petition. The petition can be viewed and signed here.

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