Major blaze at Normanton school on GCSE results day

Firefighters are now damping down the site of a large fire at a school in Normanton.

A salvage operation is also underway after the blaze, which covered more than half of an annexe at the school.

Freeston Academy hopes to be back up and running in time for the new academic year despite today's fire, Mike Tarr, the acting principal, says.

ITV Calendar's Umar Farouq, who is at the scene, reports that around a dozen members of staff were at the school when the blaze broke out on the roof of an annexe. They were safely removed without injury.

Six teaching rooms were hit by the fire - of which two are IT rooms, Thirty brand new computers are believed to have gone up in flames, while a library in the building has also been damaged.

Freeston Academy in Normanton has confirmed that noone was hurt in today's fire, adding that all students were able to collect their GCSE results in a separate part of the school despite the blaze.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the school said its "main priority was the safety of our staff, students and contractors", and to ensure, on the advice of fire crews, that the collection of results could still go ahead.

West Yorkshire Fire Service are now investigating the cause of the fire, which has been contained to an annexe in the grounds.

It added that students and parents would be advised of any impact on return dates or other implications on next year's studies in due course.

Today's fire at a school in Normanton began in an area currently undergoing construction work.

Students halfway through their GCSEs told ITV Calendar's Umar Farouq they were concerned about the fire at the IT block and how it may affect their studies.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze had been contained to the two-story annexe, which accounts for around 10% of the school building.

The blaze at Normanton is under control and only affects 10% of the building, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says.

The service's initial reports indicated that more than 50% of the building had been engulfed in flames, but this has now been corrected.

Amateur footage show the huge extent of the blaze at Freeston Academy in Normanton.

The blaze is being tackled as GCSE students collect their results - though these are now being collected at a nearby sports hall.

Noone is thought to have been hurt or affected by the blaze, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Mobile phone footage posted online by an onlooker shows smoke billowing from Freeston Academy on Normanton as fire crews attend to put out the blaze.

Dozens of firefighters are now thought to be at the scene of the blaze, which has engulfed at least half of the school building.

Video credit: Reginaldub/Twitter

Fire crews are currently attending a large blaze at Freeston Academy in Normanton, West Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said no people have been affected by the fire, despite it coming on the day students are due to pick up their GCSE results.

Locals have been advised to keep windows and doors shut as the blaze, which has engulfed half of the school, continues.