Demolition of unsafe school building begins

The demolition of the school building was approved by West Northamptonshire Council in June

The demolition of a new school building that was ordered to close two years ago has begun.

Buckton Fields Primary School in Boughton, near Northampton, opened in 2021 but was forced to close by the Department for Education (DfE) in August 2023 due to structural safety concerns.

Temporary classrooms have since been built on another part of the site and a new permanent building is expected by September 2026.

Demolition crews have arrived at the site to clear the original building, ready for the new school.

Why was the school demolished?

Buckton Fields was one of three UK schools - together with Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow and Haygrove School in Somerset - closed by the DfE after structural safety concerns were discovered.

The schools all shared the same building contractor, Caledonian Modular, which went into administration in March 2022.

The demolition of Buckton Fields was originally slated to take place in the spring of this year, but a decision by West Northamptonshire Council's planning officers was not made until June.

Where are children learning instead?

Buckton Fields Primary was ordered to close by the government in August 2023

Following the closure, pupils initially had to travel six miles (10km) away to Pineham Barns school for six months, while temporary classrooms were built on the playing field.

The temporary school accommodates 45 staff and 300 students. The original modular building had been designed to accommodate 420 pupils and had 170 on its roll when it was forced to shut.

Despite the challenges, the school was handed a "good" Ofsted rating in July.

What are the plans for the new school?

The Preston Hedges Trust, which runs the school, said it hoped to complete a new permanent building in time for September 2026, but it remained subject to planning permission.

Principal Hannah Rogers previously said: "The new building will include a state-of-the-art innovation centre, a 4G sports pitch, a larger hall... and a host of sustainable features such as solar panels and a green roof."

Buckton Fields Primary School's new building should welcome pupils from September 2026