CHILDREN were back in class today at a Rainham junior school despite an arson attack which destroyed two classrooms and caused £250,000 damage at the end of last term.

Builders, teachers and teaching assistants at Wakeley Road Junior School pulled out all the stops to move children into new classrooms and replace lost work while builders are expected to finish rebuilding by Christmas.

Now staff are trying to arrange a visit to the school's breakfast club by the firefighters who put out the blaze. Teaching assistant Karen Crank said: "We are very grateful to the firefighters and are hoping they will come back and have breakfast with us so we can say thank-you."

Vandals broke into the school in the early hours of July 20, starting a fire in a ground-floor classroom which spread to the one above. The culprits have not been caught.