Northampton primary school shuts over structural safety concerns

Safety concerns have been raised about the building at Buckton Fields primary school

A primary school that only opened two years ago has had to close due to structural safety concerns.

Buckton Fields Primary in Northampton is one of three schools in England ordered to shut by the Department for Education (DfE).

The schools share the same building contractor, Caledonian Modular, which fell into administration in March 2022.

The DfE said: "Nothing is more important than the health and safety of pupils and teachers."

Alternative arrangements for the start of term in September have been arranged, the school said.

West Northamptonshire Council said it was "in direct communication with parents and staff" over contingency plans.

Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow, Essex has also been ordered to close.

Preston Hedges Trust, which operates Buckton Fields Primary, said pupils would be moved to a space at its school in Pineham Barns until the October half-term.

The trust's chief executive, Paul Watson, said: "We were naturally shocked to be told by the Department for Education that we were unable to use the school building at Buckton Fields at the start of this coming new school year."

A temporary building will be put in place by October while inspections and repairs take place on the existing building, he said.

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Mr Watson said the trust will work with parents but said he was confident the current contingency plan would be effective "so no pupils' education is impacted by this turn of events".

Transport would be arranged between the two sites and each class would have a dedicated space, the trust said.

Jonathan Nunn, Conservative leader of West Northamptonshire Council, confirmed the authority had been informed of "concerns about the structural safety" of the building by the trust and the DfE.

He said: "DfE and the school are progressing alternative arrangements to temporarily place Buckton Fields pupils at Pineham Barns School from the start of the new school term, and are in direct communication with parents and staff to keep them informed throughout this process.

"We appreciate pupils and parents will find this unsettling and we are supporting the school and DfE as they work towards finding a solution as quickly as possible to ensure educational needs continue to be met whilst these building issues are being addressed."

A meeting for parents will be held later.

A DfE spokesperson said: "Nothing is more important than the health and safety of pupils and teachers, which is why we assess school buildings regularly to make sure they meet our high standards.

"Following surveys conducted at our request, we have identified concerns with building work carried out at Buckton Fields School by a specific contractor that is no longer in business.

"We are working closely with school leaders on temporary measures to safely accommodate pupils and minimise the disruption to their learning."