Parents have criticised Swindon Council for sending their children home after cracks were found in classrooms.

Instead, they want mobile units to be brought in allowing lessons to continue at Seven Fields Primary School, Penhill.

As our picture shows, metal jacks now divide classrooms in the school, which is in special measures, after beams and trusses were thought to be unsafe.

Around 270 children will be turned away from lessons from now until the end of term.

They will have to do their work at home for a week at a time on a rolling programme.

Acting headteacher Stewart Smith, who was drafted in two months ago to turn the school around, said: "The classrooms are not conducive to teaching. It is not a safe learning environment for children.

"We are in negotiations at the moment with a school which has a spare classroom." But mother-of-two Gena Bird, 26, said she is appalled at the school's actions.

The shop assistant, whose children are Sophie, seven, and Cameron, five, said: "I don't know why they have left it to now to check the building.

"The children have already had a week's half term. The Local Education Authority (LEA) should have brought in mobile classrooms.

"We still don't have a clear idea of what's going on. Some say the ceiling's falling down, others say it's just a crack."

Helen Money, 31, has three children, two of whom attend Seven Fields. She said: "My son is in reception which is a very important year and this disruption is terrible. It's not on.

"There are enough problems at the school. It seems like it's one thing after another.

"Parents are faced with difficulties too. It's assumed Penhill parents don't work and have nothing to do during their day, which is just not true."

Gavin Calthrop, council spokesman, said: "There would be a time delay and substantial cost for having a mobile classroom delivered to the school.

"The problems came to light during the Friday of half-term which left only the weekend to investigate alternative spaces at other schools.

"The logistics of ringing all the parents, each of whom would then need a full explanation, would make the exercise virtually impossible.

"Any school whether in special measures or not can send children home where the headteacher feels that the teaching environment has been compromised.

"Staff should be congratulated for reacting positively to the situation."

Reception pupils will do half-days only for the rest of the week.

Years Four and Five were at home today and will not return until Monday, just as pupils in Year Six begin their week of home education.

Alex Emery