TEACHERS are pulling together to clear up their classrooms after flood damage left buildings wrecked.

William Read Primary School, in Long Road, Lubbins Park Community Primary School, in May Avenue, and Leigh Beck Junior School, in Point Road, were all damaged when some of the worst flooding since the 1953 disaster hit Canvey.

More than twomonths of rain fell in just 90 minutes on Sunday, damaging homes and businesses, but schools have also been badly hit.

At William Read Primary School five classrooms have been damaged along with the school’s offices. Most of the school’s carpets are having to be ripped up.

Ruined furniture has been heaped in piles in the school hall and the cost of the clean-up is expected to run into thousands of pounds.

Headteacher Jacqui Gosnold said: “Everything has got to come out.

“The staff have been fantastic.

They’ve all come down to help out, as have teenagers and children.

“It’s not just the classrooms and offices. All the PE equipment has been contaminated, so we will have to replace that too. There has been flooding before, but nothing like this. It just came down so heavily.”

Julia Walker, vice chairman of the school’s governors, praised staff for helping out.

She said: “It’s just pure devastation.

“It really was very emotional seeing all the damage. Staff have come in to help and they didn’t have to, because they’re on holidays.

“It’s really good of them.”

Daren Partridge, headteacher of Leigh Beck Junior School, said part of a suspended ceiling had collapsed and some classrooms were wet, but the school had still managed to stay open until the end of term, which was yesterday.

He said: “We have been very lucky really.”