Devon school concerned about lack of funding for rebuild

A hole in a ceiling is one of the issues at Tiverton High School

A school in disrepair is concerned there is not the government funding available for a rebuild.

In December, Tiverton High, in Devon, was listed for rebuilding works as part of the Schools Rebuilding Programme.

It learnt in July there was a feasibility process, which may not begin until April 2027, before any money is awarded.

The Department for Education (DfE) said it was committed to the project but its "scope" will be decided by the process.

'Leaking roof'

The building has not been directly affected by the Raac (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) crisis, however, the school is worried that work now needed in other schools and public buildings may mean the money is not available for its rebuild.

Jon Sowden, Tiverton High School estate manager told BBC Radio Devon, the premises were "very poor, very dated and not fit for 21st century teaching and learning".

He said the building sits on a flood plain, requires rewiring and suffers with deteriorating pipes and a windowed corridor that has had condensation inside the panes of glass since 1998.

School estate manager, Jon Sowden, says the school is not fit for teaching

The DfE said the school is on a list for improvement works in coming years but it was too early to say if this would be a full rebuild, heavy refurbishment, or a mixture of the two across different buildings.

One pupil said: "Winters can be quite damp and rainy and sometimes there can be leaks through the roof."

Tiverton High School was previously promised a rebuild as part of Labour's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) in 2009 - but the £55bn scheme was scrapped in 2010.

In December 2022 the school was added to the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) as one of 500 schools which the Department for Education committed to rebuilding by 2030.

Tiverton High School was built in 1959

Mr Sowden claimed this gave a false impression that the £40m required for a rebuild had been allocated which he argued was "not quite the case".

He said: "We've been told we can enter a scheme and we don't know what the result of that feasibility study is going to be.

"There is no guarantee in anything that we've seen that this school will be rebuilt."

A DfE spokesperson said: "We have committed to rebuilding 500 schools under the School Rebuilding Programme between 2020 and 2030 and are on track to deliver that commitment.

"Awarding contracts and establishing projects takes time but we have made rapid progress and are exceeding delivery timescales compared to the previous Priority School Building Programme, while delivering schools that will be net zero in operation.

"The Infrastructure and Project Authority has also highlighted the strength of the SRP's progress."

'Degrade and crumble'

Lib Dem Tiverton and Honiton MP Richard Foord has urged the government to set out a clear timeframe for rebuilding.

He said: "The government has been talking about rebuilding Tiverton High School for more than a decade, in which time the buildings have continued to degrade and crumble around pupils.

"We were given a glimmer of hope last year when a rebuild was provisionally approved, yet it was later confirmed that work is not set to start any time soon.

"This is totally unacceptable."