Football ground to be a school amid building delays

Pupils will be taught at Riverside Stadium because of delays in the building of their new school

New school pupils will begin their secondary education in a football stadium because of building delays.

From September, year 7 pupils at Outwood Riverside Academy, will be taught in temporary classrooms at Middlesbrough Football Club's Riverside Stadium.

The measure is being introduced because of delays in the building of the new school which was due to be completed in 2023.

Headteacher Melissa Brant-Smith said pupils would be taught the full curriculum and would also have access to the club's "cutting edge" sporting facilities.

The new pupils were due to be taught at a temporary site in Eston.

However, this site has not been completed and "for a short time" they will attend classes at the stadium, Ms Brant-Smith said.

Older pupils at the school are already being taught in temporary premises at Russell Street, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A new building for 900 pupils at Lower East Street in Middlehaven was given the green light by Middlesbrough Council in 2018.

Issues with a building contractor and the Covid pandemic meant the site missed its original 2023 opening and the completion date was pushed back to 2026.

In March, a DfE spokesperson said it was working with Middlesbrough Council and Outwood Grange Academies Trust to "urgently progress" its delivery.