Pupils left saddened after vandals set school’s pagoda on fire

A rural Clydesdale head teacher has spoken about the hurt caused to her and her pupils by a senseless act of vandalism.

The remains of the much-loved pagoda in Walston Primary Schools playground

The children’s summerhouse/pagoda in the grounds of Walston Primary School was deliberately set on fire at around 3pm on Sunday, February 24.

The structure will cost £1,500 to replace. The real price, though, was the blow the idiotic act dealt to the pupils and staff, preparing to move soon to a new school building.

Said Walston head teacher Carol Pennock: “As we look forward to moving to our new school, we are also looking back on the wonderful memories we have of our existing one.

“Some of pupils recently wrote about how much the pagoda meant to them and some of the comments that they made were, ‘the pagoda was the hub of the playground’ and ‘I like the pagoda because if I ever feel like I need to have some alone time or some time to relax or even think, that is the place I would go’.

“Not only is it upsetting to the children and the staff at the school for such a cruel act of vandalism to take place and destroy something that we are so fond of and use daily, the pupils have also been robbed of the final few months of using the pagoda.

“It is sad to think that people can be so uncaring about others’ happiness but we will move on and make the last months at this building a time that everyone can remember with happiness.”

Police are still seeking witnesses to the incident which took place in broad daylight.