STAFF and pupils at Rose Hill Primary School in Oxford felt cosy in class yesterday after persistent boiler problems were finally fixed.

For the first time in months there was no longer a chill in the air after their failing heating system was mended.

A problem with the boilers first emerged in December and children had been forced to wear jackets, gloves and hats in class after temperatures dropped to 10C.

Headteacher Sue Vermes said: “Pupils were wearing their coats and scarves and it was hard for them to concentrate because it felt chilly but it’s okay now.

“The council has spent money on new boilers in the past few years but the roof and the windows are in such a poor state that new boilers have not reduced our energy bills.

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“Parents have been very concerned about this because they were very upset that their children were having to work in cold classes.”

In October, Oxfordshire County Council paid for two new boilers for the 415-pupil primary school, in The Oval. The boilers started failing in December, Mrs Vermes said, before one of them broke down completely.

Mrs Vermes told parents they could take their children out of five affected classrooms after temperatures fell below the required temperature of 18C.

Seven families decided to take their children out of school.

Bonnie Byles, nine, from Rose Hill, said: “It’s much better with the heating back on.”