PREPARATIONS are under way to accommodate York High School pupils at three school sites in the city.

A total of six Portakabins were moved into place at Westfield Primary School in Acomb yesterday to house 183 Year 7 pupils when they return to classes on Monday.

Westfield is a feeder primary school for York High School and many of the Year 7 pupils will have come from the school to York High in September.

Friday’s fire at York High School in the old Lowfield School building at Dijon Avenue in Acomb meant over a third of the building has had to be demolished. The Press reported yesterday that from Monday pupils will be dispersed to three sites for the next fortnight up to the autumn half-term holiday – with 560 pupils from Years 9 – 11 at Manor CE School and 158 at Burnholme Community College.

Pupils at Manor CE School will have lessons from 9am until 1pm daily to allow York High School pupils in Years 9 to 11 to use the school site in the afternoon from 2pm to 6pm.

After the half-term break 14 temporary classrooms will be located at the rear of the York High site.

Pupils are required to wear their York High School uniform and bring their usual equipment.

A fire service investigation in to the cause of the blaze is ongoing and it could be weeks before it is concluded. Meanwhile, this week pupils who have been unable to return to school have had a range of free sporting activities laid on by the council.

York High School is the city’s newest comprehensive following the merger of Oaklands School, in Cornlands Road, and the former Lowfields School based at the Dijon Avenue site.

More than 1,000 pupils of the merged school had moved in to the Dijon Avenue base on a temporary basis while York High prepares to move to its new £10 million home in January next year, at the Cornlands Road site.