Primary acts to save its past as work to keep out floodwater preserves its future

Rokeby Park in Hull is one of eight primary schools in the city where flood prevention work is being carried out to avoid a repeat of the 2007 when four feet of water rushed into the building, destroying work, equipment and records.

Contractors are currently on site at the school in the Boothferry Park Estate to create a trench around the building and cladding on the outside to help combat future floods.

Windows at ground level are also being raised and floodgates are being attached to all of the schools doors.

The work is taking place with 6.3m of Government funding secured by Hull Council.

While this building work is helping to secure the future of the school from further flooding, staff are now appealing for help from the local community to help piece together its past.

The floods of 2007 destroyed all of the schools archives, records and photographs.

Rokeby Park Primary celebrates its 50th anniversary in September and to help mark the occasion teachers are calling for former staff and pupils to contribute their photographs, reports and memories they have of their time at the school to allow it to begin rebuilding its own history.

So far searches through archives at the Hull History Centre and the Beverley Treasure House have been unsuccessful.

Alan Brigham from Rokeby Park School said: "Unfortunately the schools archive, past registers and photograph albums were destroyed in the floods of 2007 when the school was inundated on two separate occasions.

"Sadly these treasures can never be replaced but we are hoping that we can re-build our heritage, in this our 50th anniversary year."

Headteacher Karen Jackson said that former staff had come forward to write down their memories of Rokeby Park but now the school was hoping people might have photographs or reports to help them create a new archive.

The seven other primary schools in Hull receiving flood defence work are Bude Park, St James, in Dorchester Road Thorpepark, Stockwell, Wansbeck, Sutton Park and Westcott.

A Hull Council spokeswoman said the work was designed to prevent a repeat of 2007 when floodwater emerged from the drains.