Rescuing Crumbling Classrooms

Published on: 23 Apr, 2026
Updated on: 23 Apr, 2026

Pond Meadow School in Bellfields Google

By Emily Dalton

local democracy reporter

Surrey County Council is lining up a major round of school repairs and upgrades, each argued as “essential” for the safety of pupils.

Three schools – Pond Meadow School, The Winston Churchill School and Oakwood Secondary School – are all set to benefit from fresh investment. Although each case is different, the general theme is that the schools cannot function properly if the buildings themselves are not up to scratch.

Cllr Natalie Bramhall

Cllr Natalie Bramhall (Con, Redhill West & Meadvale), cabinet member for Property, Waste and Infrastructure, signed off the cash-boost at a Surrey County Council Cabinet meeting on April 21.

Council leader Tim Oliver warned the Oakwood project alone could “blow quite a big hole” in the budget, meaning other schemes might have to be delayed or reshuffled. Still, the council’s argument is that these are essential repairs.

Leaks, damp and a long-overdue fix

Pond Meadow School in Bellfields, Guildford is an “Outstanding” specialist school for autistic children and those with severe learning difficulties.

The problem is the roof has had issues pretty much since the building opened in 2008. There are ongoing leaks, dodgy drainage and a setup that just has not held up. Warranties have long expired and there is no going back to the original contractor.

So now, as the local authority, Surrey County Council has had to step in. The council has a duty to keep 200 vulnerable pupils learning in a building that is safe, warm and dry.

The plan is to rip out the issues and install a brand-new roof covering, along with improved drainage across the site. Work is pencilled in for completion by August 2026, funded through the schools maintenance budget.

Fire safety concerns spark extra cash request

Winston Churchill School, St John’s, Woking Google

The Winston Churchill School, in St John’s Woking, is dealing with a different and the more urgent issues of fire safety. Inspections found the cladding and wall systems on parts of the school do not properly stop fire spreading. Not ideal for a site with more than 1,500 on the school roll.

Work is already underway to fix it, including replacing non-fire-rated panels and adding proper fire stopping to both the science block and main building. The council said this will provide a safe learning and working environment to the pupils.

But, as often happens with big projects, once contractors got stuck in, more problems cropped up. Structural tweaks, asbestos complications and rising costs mean the council has released more funding to get the job finished properly. Not completing the work is not an option.

“Dire” conditions

Oakwood Secondary School is Horley’s only secondary school and serves a very wide catchment area.

Officers did not sugar-coat it: parts of the school, some dating back to the 1950s, are in serious decline. There are failing roofs, ageing electrics, single-glazed windows, water ingress, and even asbestos that needs careful removal. Add in a surge of pupils from new housing developments, around 300 extra in recent years, and the strain on the buildings is obvious.

Cllr Bramhall said: “These issues affect the day to day operation and the school’s ability to provide a safe learning environment.” She explained the conditions are affecting pupil outcomes and staff morale, meaning these repairs are “urgently required”.

The proposed fix is a full-scale refurbishment, inside and out. That includes new roofs and drainage, replacement windows and doors, upgraded lighting and ceilings, internal redecoration and major safety works

Construction is due to start in May 2026 and run through to March 2028, with efforts to keep disruption to a minimum by pushing it into the school holidays.

Helyn Clack

Cllr Helen Clack, (Con, Dorking Rural) who had visited the site, did not mince words. She called the investment “so necessary” and described the school as in “dire need” of repairs.

Big bills and tight budgets

None of this comes cheap. All three projects will be funded through the council’s capital maintenance budgets. But there’s already concern behind the scenes about how far that pot will stretch.