School closes 'unsafe' building for repair work

Some groups at Rushden Academy will move to online learning

A school building has been deemed unsafe and will be temporarily closed, parents and carers have been told.

The building at Rushden Academy, Northamptonshire, houses maths, humanities, modern foreign languages and information technology.

In a letter posted on the school's website, principal Jonathan Firth said a regular structural survey had revealed issues with the structural integrity of its blue external panelling.

He said the secondary school would lose 22 teaching spaces while work was carried out and that some year groups would move to online learning.

The school on Hayway, Rushden, was founded in 1977 but became an academy in 2014

He said students could borrow digital devices if they needed them to take part.

Mr Firth said: "We are working closely with engineers to erect an indemnified scaffolding structure around the external perimeter of the building.

"This will ensure that all external panelling is held securely in place.

"At this moment in time, I am not able to give any indicative timeframe of when this will be completed.

"Once this external structure is in place, we will then be able to reopen the school fully and operate as normal."