A secondary school in the Black Country has been forced to close its gates to students for the second time in less than a week, this time due to a major failure of the local water supply.
School Forced to Send Pupils Home
On the morning of Tuesday, January 13, 2026, pupils arriving at Leasowes High School on Kent Road in Halesowen were turned away and sent back home. The sudden closure was necessitated by a significant burst water main affecting the local area, which left the school site without any running water.
Headteacher Miss Papadopoullos confirmed the closure in a statement posted on the school's Facebook page. She explained that South Staffs Water had confirmed a complete loss of supply, rendering essential facilities like drinking water, toilets, and handwashing stations unusable.
Health and Safety Takes Priority
In her communication to parents, the headteacher stated that maintaining a safe and hygienic environment was impossible under the circumstances. "As these facilities are essential for maintaining a safe and hygienic environment, we have no option but to close the school while repairs are carried out," she wrote.
The school had only just reopened on Monday, January 12, after a previous closure on Friday, January 9. That earlier shutdown was caused by heavy snowfall from Storm Goretti, meaning students have faced significant disruption at the start of the new term.
Repairs Underway and Further Updates Promised
Miss Papadopoullos assured parents that the water company's teams were working urgently to fix the problem. She promised a further update later in the day once more information was received from the utility provider, which was initially referred to as Severn Trent in her message.
The headteacher apologised for the short notice and the inconvenience caused. A small number of staff remained on site to supervise any students who could not return home immediately until they could be collected.
The water main issue also caused low water pressure for homes in the surrounding area while emergency repairs were conducted.
