Children at a Woodside Park school have an extra three weeks holiday after a fire destroyed half the building days before the beginning of the new term.

Six classrooms, one computer room and a toilet block were completely gutted in the blaze at Frith Manor Community Primary School in Lullington Garth shortly after 5.30pm on Thursday last week.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

The new term, which was due to start on September 3, will be delayed three weeks, "if all goes well," according to Barnet Council. Alternative accommodaton could not be found.

Speaking at the scene on Thursday, the school's new headteacher Reginald Herring said: "I am absolutely stunned I don't know where to start.

"I had a call from the school secretary over an hour ago and I'm just absolutely shocked.

"This is the main year one to three classroom block and there is a computer room in there and the main toilet room. Seven classrooms are totally lost."

Firefighters using six fire engines battled for more than five hours as the blaze took hold of the school's 1930 building and worked throughout the night clearing up debris.

Smoke billowing from the roof could be seen as far away as Golders Green.

Assistant divisional officer Rob Simpson, of Southall fire station, said almost the entire roof of the block was alight when firefighters arrived.

"There is about 50 per cent damage to the whole school. There have always been difficulties with schools and fires for a variety of reasons.

"There is the obvious reason of children and vandalism.

"But they are unoccupied buildings for long parts of the year and if a fire starts it's a certain magnitude before people get to know about it.

"We couldn't send people in there readily because it was a dangerous structure."

Dawn Stevens, of Wentworth Park, Finchley, saw the blaze from her home. "I noticed the smoke rising up over the garden.

"From my loft window I had a view that was quite horrifying.

"I could just see the flames racing through."

The Times Group's Hold Fire campaign is still offering residents the opportunity to have smoke alarms fitted in their homes.

We have already managed to get more than 200 alarms into homes across the borough since the campaign started on July 11.

Before it began, only 28 per cent of households that suffered fires in Barnet were equipped with a smoke alarm.

To find out if you are eligible to have one installed free of charge by trained firefighters call 020 7587 2300.