Garnetbank Primary is a block away from the Glasgow School of Art that was engulfed by fire for the second time on Friday night and separated from it by just three buildings.
Headteacher Linda Reed has heard from parents who had to flee when hot embers the size of lumps of coal came raining down into the streets neighbouring the iconic Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed building. But the wind was blowing in the right direction - at least as far as the Garnetbank was concerned - and it escaped undamaged.
However, the fire has had an impact on the 250-strong primary whose pupils have witnessed three major fires in recent times: the first fire at the Glasgow School of Art in 2014; the fire that destroyed the city’s Victoria’s nightclub in March, and now Friday night’s blaze.
Children have not been hysterical or crying - although there have been tears from some parents, says Ms Reed. Many pupils, however, were very scared, she says.
Ms Reed continues: “When something happens in your family you all talk about it. That’s what we are doing here. We are providing stability, normality and someone to talk to. That’s why I was so pleased we managed to open yesterday.”
At Garnetbank - which sits inside the inner cordon sectioned off by the emergency services - roughly a quarter of the school’s pupils are Muslim. The fire coincided with Eid, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan and the fasting that goes with it.
This meant many pupils were up late and watched from their windows as the fire took hold, not just of the School of Art, but of the neighbouring O2 ABC venue.
They were scared not just by the fire, but by the noise, says Ms Reed. There were explosions as the windows of the Reid Building opposite the School of Art blew in but also screaming from revellers who had spilled out from local pubs and clubs to watch.
Ms Reed says: “Partygoers came to watch. They were being really vocal. Children are talking about hearing people screaming and how scary it was.”
One P1 boy “with eyes like saucers” told Ms Reed he and his family had returned late that night from celebrating Eid with relatives but were prevented from entering their home by emergency services. Others children talked about having to ask permission to duck under the police tape so they could visit their friends on Sunday.
These tales and many more came out during a lunchtime drop-in session run in the school’s nurture base. It is something that is available on a daily basis but yesterday those in need of a chat about the fire were encouraged to come along.
Ms Reed says: “Learning can only come after children are ok. If they come in and they are all go - the adrenalin is coursing through them - that’s the first priority, not to teach them a new concept.
“If they have just come under a police cordon to get to school they need the chance to talk that through.”
The school also stressed yesterday during an assembly that there was much to be grateful for: there were no casualties, and the emergency services were on hand to deal with the situation.
There have been practical considerations for the school given the restrictions on the movement of vehicles in the neighbouring streets. Bins are also being collected three times a week now to keep the rats flushed out of the sewers by the water used to fight the fire at bay.
“There are rodents around,” says Ms Reed. “They want nothing left out to try and keep that under control.”
However, by the end of yesterday - within school walls at least - things were “remarkably normal”, she says.
But she is clear that the Mac - as it is affectionately known - was part of the community landscape and there is “genuine heartbreak” about its demise.
