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The Beeches Primary School closed after overnight fire, expected to reopen tomorrow

The Beeches Community Primary School in Ipswich has closed today following a fire that broke out on Tuesday night.

The fire is believed to have involved solar panels on the school's roof.

The big picture: Fire crews from three stations responded to the blaze, highlighting the seriousness of the incident and the coordinated emergency response in Ipswich.

Why it matters: The closure affects all pupils and comes at the start of the new school term, disrupting education and potentially causing childcare challenges for parents.

The Beeches Primary School
No damage was visible from the entrance of the school(Oliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk)

Key details:

  • Fire reported at 21:45 on Tuesday

  • 3 fire crews responded from Ipswich East, Princes Street and Needham Market

  • Fire officially extinguished by 23:03

  • School closed today but expected to reopen tomorrow pending safety assessments

What they're saying: The school's website states:

"Thank you to all families for your understanding following the fire at The Beeches last night. We are pleased to report that there is no internal damage to the school at all.

"We are currently conducting safety checks to ensure that the building is completely safe and at this stage we expect to be able to open the school to all pupils tomorrow, Thursday 5th September, as normal. Confirmation will be posted here later today."

What's next: School officials hope to reopen as soon as possible, pending the safety assessment results. Parents and guardians will receive further information.

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