School moved over unsafe building gets good Ofsted

Buckton Fields Primary was ordered to close by the government in August

A school that had to shut its site for six months due to structural concerns in the main building said it was "remarkable" to get a positive Ofsted report.

Buckton Fields Primary School in Boughton, near Northampton, only opened two years ago but was ordered to close by the government in August.

Pupils were relocated to another school while temporary classrooms were built on another part of the site.

Ofsted inspectors rated the school "good" and Paul Watson, from the school's trust, thanked the local community for their support.

Paul Watson said he was pleased with the outcome of the Ofsted inspection

While the site was closed, pupils went to Pineham Barns school six miles (9.6km) away. The temporary buildings opened in February.

Buckton Fields was one of three UK schools that were closed by the Department for Education (DfE).

They shared the same building contractor, Caledonian Modular, which fell into administration in March 2022.

It was announced in December that the building would be demolished and rebuilt.

The school is currently using temporary classrooms on the school site

Inspectors, who visited the temporary site last month, said there was a "caring and inclusive culture".

Their report said pupils enjoyed "positive relationships with each other" and their staff and classrooms were "calm and orderly".

On the closure of the building, the Ofsted report said parents and carers told inspectors "the school managed this difficult period very well".

"They appreciate the efforts that the school made, and continues to make, to communicate with them and to consider their views," it said.

Mr Watson, chief executive of Preston Hedges Trust, said: "What this school community has achieved since its opening in 2021 and what it has successfully faced up to over the past school year is nothing short of remarkable."

He said the support of the community and the "dedication of the staff and pupils has meant children's education has continued to thrive".