HUNDREDS of youngsters had an unexpected day off at a York school today.

Fulford School was closed to Years Seven and Eight - comprising 400 children aged between 11 and 13 - because of a boiler breakdown yesterday.

Head teacher Steve Smith, pictured, said: "Late yesterday afternoon, I was informed that there was no heating in one of our buildings due to a boiler breakdown.

"The engineers were called immediately and they told me it wouldn't be fixed until the end of today.

"Obviously we couldn't have pupils and staff in freezing cold classrooms.

"We thought long and hard about it, but we don't have sufficient rooms to move classes out of the affected building and continue to teach all the students.

"And we don't have any heaters we can put in there."

Mr Smith said the decision had been taken to keep younger pupils away so that the teaching of older students, taking exams this year, would not be affected.

He said engineers expected the boiler to be working again by the end of today and all youngsters at the 1,300-pupil school would be back at their desks tomorrow.

Updated: 09:59 Wednesday, March 01, 2006