A PETITION calling for urgent Government funding for a new building at Forest High School has been backed by Forest of Dean MP Matt Bishop.

Mr Bishop said students and staff in Cinderford had been “failed” by years of delay, uncertainty and inaction over the condition of the school site.

The petition calls on the Government and Department for Education to approve funding for a replacement building, citing concerns about safety, failing infrastructure and the long-term future of the school.

In a statement supporting the campaign, Mr Bishop said pupils should not be expected to learn in buildings where “serious concerns continue to exist around safety and infrastructure”.

He added teachers and support staff should not have to battle issues with the condition of the site while trying to deliver lessons and support pupils.

Mr Bishop said: “We need a new building that allows staff to focus on students — not leaking roofs, failing infrastructure or concerns about the condition of the school estate.”

The petition states Forest High School serves a large community in the Forest of Dean, including many pupils from areas of significant deprivation, and warns closure or continued deterioration would have a devastating impact on families and the wider area.

Mr Bishop said the issue went beyond “bricks and mortar” and was about ensuring young people in the Forest received the same opportunities as children elsewhere in the country.

He said: “Young people in Cinderford and the Forest of Dean deserve the same opportunities as children anywhere else in this country.

“They deserve investment. They deserve ambition. And they deserve a Government willing to back them.”

The petition also urges the Government to work with Gloucestershire County Council and school leaders to secure the long-term future of Forest High School and provide pupils with a safe, modern and inspiring learning environment.