Yeovil: Milford Junior shut 'indefinitely' over building concerns

Milford Junior and Milford Infants schools are on the same site in Yeovil

A primary school with more than 400 pupils is to close "indefinitely" after concerns were raised about the safety of the building, a council has said.

The return of pupils at Milford Junior School in Yeovil, Somerset, has been put back to 12 September, and classes will then take place at other sites.

The trust which runs the school has apologised for the "disruption" the closure was likely to cause.

The structural defects were discovered in a routine building survey.

Somerset County Council said pupils at the school would initially have online tuition from 1 September, and from 12 September classes would be held at "alternative nearby school sites".

In a statement, the council said: "Regular building surveys are carried out at all Somerset schools to monitor the conditions of the buildings.

"A recent survey was carried out two weeks ago on the Milford Junior School site with the findings received last week.

"The report established there are concerns with the structure of the school building."

'Challenging time'

The statement added that the Huish Academy Trust, which runs the school, as well as the Department for Education and the council were looking into temporary building solutions which would mean Milford pupils could be back together on one site "as soon as possible".

Councillor Tessa Munt, executive lead for children's services at Somerset County Council, said: "I'd like to thank our neighbouring schools who have stepped forward so diligently to offer their support in this challenging time."

Milford Junior School headteacher Claire Laverty said: "We know the children have suffered during the last couple of years, which is why we have worked hard to provide face-to-face teaching from Monday 12 September.

"All our staff are ready to support the children and ensure they are comfortable with the arrangements we have made."

The council said that as a "precautionary measure" detailed inspections were taking place at the neighbouring Milford Infants School, but initial checks had not revealed any problems.

However, it added that pupils there would also not return to classes until 12 September to allow further checks to take place.