School staff and council officers are working hard to ensure Thornwell Primary School can re-open next week.

The infants building, containing classrooms, the infants hall and nursery unit, was burned down in the early hours of this morning (Friday 3rd June).

The school will be able to run some, but not all, of its infant classes from next Tuesday (7th June).

The arrangements will be as follows;

• Pupils who are in Junior classes will be able to attend school from Tuesday 7th June.

• Infant pupils who are in the classes led by the following teachers ONLY will not be able to attend school until Monday 13th June:

• Mrs Tovey

• Mrs. Hutchinson

• Mrs. Williams

• Mrs. Leigh

• Other infant pupils will be able to attend school from Tuesday 7th June.

New temporary accommodation for these four classes is being shipped to site 7th / 8th June and will be up and running by 13th June.

Councillor Liz Hacket Pain, Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet member for children, young people and learning, said: "I'm shocked and saddened by the fire at  Thornwell Primary School in Chepstow, but am relieved that nobody was hurt.

"It's an awful thing to happen within the community.

"I have, though, been inspired by the spirit of the community and governors at the school who have rallied round and done their best to help.

"I would like to say a huge thank you to the fire service and the other emergency services that have been on the scene since last night.

"And I would also like to thank the council staff and teachers who also spent much of last night on the scene and who I know will be working over the weekend to ensure that the school can re-open on Tuesday.

"A school is far more than bricks and mortar. The hard work and aspirations of the children and their teachers were contained in that building and so much of that has now gone up in smoke.

"We will build on that great work that has gone before to find new ways and places to teach the children while the damage is repaired.

"Monmouthshire is a forward looking county. We don't just renew, we improve.

"We will make good the damage and open a new building to replace the one lost last night."