Water disruption "doesn't feel very 21st century" says headteacher after school forced to close
The South East water outage leaves the town without supply for the fourth day
Last updated 2nd Dec 2025
The headteacher of Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells says he wants students back in class as quickly as possible, after the town’s ongoing water outage forced the school to close.
The problems began on Saturday when a chemical issue at Pembury water treatment works led to water supplies being cut, affecting 24,000 properties in the area.
Edward Wesson, headteacher at Skinners’ School, has expressed frustration at the situation, which has disrupted education.
Speaking about the school's closure, Wesson said, "We called off school today because it was apparent there was no water in the taps at 6 o’clock this morning. We’ll carry out exactly the same precaution tomorrow.2
"We’ve been told water supplies will be restored from this evening, but there have been a few false storms so far, so we’re going to treat that with caution and check again tomorrow morning.”
The school is amongst five in the area that had to shift to online learning because of the water shortage.
Wesson described the experience as “like a return to Covid,” noting the challenges of teaching remotely. He said, "It’s not the same as being in a classroom, microphones were turned off."
"We’re doing the next best thing, but the novelty will wear off quickly. We want them back as soon as possible for the best experience."
Wesson criticised the infrastructure issues that have left the school without water, saying, “It doesn't feel very 21st century to have no water in your school and to have power cuts, which we’ve also had in recent years."
He urged water companies to prioritise investment: “The water system in this country is creaking as an infrastructure. If these companies don’t put investment before profit, then we’re in for a very bruising few years. I’d implore them to focus on getting our water infrastructure fit for the 21st century.”
Local MP Mike Martin has also weighed in, calling for South East Water’s CEO David Hinton to resign over the disruption.
The issues have left schools, GP surgeries, and businesses struggling, with bottled water distribution set up in three sites around the town.
The sites will remain open today 2 December.