Somerset school to be rebuilt after faulty construction work

Haygrove School will be rebuilt but a location has not yet been confirmed

A school is set to be rebuilt after faulty construction work led to its main building being declared unsafe.

The government concluded in September that Haygrove School in Bridgwater, Somerset, was not fit for purpose because of the problems.

Quantock Education Trust, the academy chain that runs the school, told parents on Friday that new premises will be built on a different site.

The location has not been confirmed, but the main building will not be used.

Its closure led to some children missing lessons or being forced to learn at other sites, ahead of temporary classrooms being installed.

Caledonian Modular, the firm that constructed the building, went out of business in 2022, prompting the Department for Education (DfE) to check the safety of Haygrove and several other schools.

'Best Christmas present'

An inspection found Haygrove main building, which was constructed in 2020, was unsafe and it was shut immediately.

Two other schools built by the company were demolished before construction was complete and two others have been advised by the DfE not to reopen because of structural irregularities.

Ian Liddell Grainger, MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, said a new building would be the "best Christmas present" staff, students and parents could wish for.

"This is the obvious and most sensible solution to the problems at Haygrove and I am deeply grateful to the government for recognising the reality of the current situation and deciding that a new Haygrove must be built from scratch," he said.

"But there has been some magnificent teamwork on several fronts to argue the case for a new school - and current and future Haygrove students should be deeply grateful that they have such a dedicated and supportive team of staff and governors who have been prepared to fight so resolutely to provide a better educational future for them all."

'Seeking legal advice'

The minister for school systems, Baroness Diana Barran, confirmed the DfE would provide funding for the project.

"I know this has been a challenging time for [the school community] and I want to thank every parent and teacher for their patience while we have been working to come to a resolution," she said.

"We have continued to prioritise face-to-face learning during this time and to help schools through this transition phase.

"We are also reviewing our contracts, and seeking legal advice on how we can recover the costs where that contractor was involved."

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