Highfield Priory School fire: what happened to the four Preston schoolboys arrested over the blaze at the £8,000 per year private school?

Four teenagers have been charged with arson following a fire at a fee-paying private school in Preston. The youngsters, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of setting light to Highfield Priory School in October last year.

The fire tore through the nursery at Highfield Priory School shortly before 7pm on Saturday October 15. Six fire engines and Lancashire’s aerial ladder platform battling the blaze overnight, with crews remaining at the scene into the next morning. Fire chiefs later reported their suspicions to police and an investigation was launched.

What happened to the four teens arrested for the Highfield Priory School fire?

The four teenagers appeared at Preston Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a youth court, on March 28. The two boys aged 15 and two aged 14 appeared at Preston Magistrates’ Court charged with causing damage totalling £700 to the Fulwood Row school.

They were remanded on conditional bail and ordered not to associate with each other. The boys, who are all from the Preston area, must next appear at Preston Magistrates’ Court on April 25. All four deny the charges.

How badly was Highfield Priory School damaged by the fire?

Pictures of firefighters at the scene show the nursery building gutted by the flames which tore through it during the night. The roof had partially collapsed and will need to be rebuilt, while fire damage inside the nursery was believed to be severe.

Highfield Priory School has been rated as one of the top five independent prep schools in England by the Sunday Times, and the best in the North West. The school charges parents £8,705 per year - which equates to £2,950 per term.

What did the headteacher at Highfield Priory School say?

The school reopened on October 17 – less than 24 hours after fire crews left the scene of the blaze. Headteacher Jeremy Duke said last October he was “shocked and saddened by the senseless destruction” but said the school was determined to continue as normal today.

He added that the nursery would move into the main school building “for the foreseeable future”. Mr Duke said: “The Highfield Community is shocked and saddened by the senseless destruction of its Nursery building.

"The Nursery School will move into the main school building for the foreseeable future and the School and Nursery will be open as normal on Monday morning. I would like to thank the Preston community for its kindness and generosity, with offers of books and toys for the children.

"He would also like to thank the emergency services who worked so tirelessly to bring the fire under control on Saturday night and to make the site safe for the children by Monday morning.”

Why do people appear at Magistrates Court instead of Crown Court?

The vast majority of offences are dealt with at magistrates court, with only the most serious offences, such murder and rape, being heard at Crown Court in front of a judge. Magistrates and district judges deal most others, including minor offences such as motoring offences and minor criminal damage.

They will also deal with more serious offences such a burglary and drug offences but might then pass the case to a higher court.