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MP demands school rebuild after safety concerns

Google A street view of the entrance to Haygrove School. It is a large brick building with a tall middle section that has a clock on it. The entrance to the school is blocked off by metal fencing and corrugated walls as if under construction.Google
Haygrove School's main building was closed after it was found to be structurally unsafe

An MP is demanding the urgent rebuilding of a secondary school, so its pupils and teachers no longer have to work in temporary classrooms.

Last December, Haygrove School in Bridgwater, Somerset, discovered its main building was unsafe due to faulty construction and was forced to close it immediately.

On Wednesday, Conservative MP, Ashley Fox, called for immediate action during Prime Minister's Questions.

The school minister Stephen Morgan is now set to visit the condemned site to determine whether it is suitable for development or if a new plot will need to be found nearby.

A large rectangular building covered in white plastic sheeting and fences around its base.
The condemned building remains wrapped in scaffolding and plastic

An inspection by the Department for Education (DfE) found Haygrove's main building, which was constructed in 2020 by Caledonian Modular, was unsafe due to issues with structural integrity and "poor workmanship".

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

A spokesperson for Haygrove School said: "We are really pleased that the schools minister would like to visit Haygrove School and see first-hand the unique situation that our students and staff are experiencing.

"Whilst we have excellent temporary accommodation that allows our students to continue learning, we know that this isn't a long-term solution.

"Our families deserve more certainty and we would welcome any support and reassurance about the future for Haygrove that Mr Morgan will be able to provide."

A temporary classroom full of students working on science experiments. They are all in black uniforms and learning over desks, wearing safety goggles. The classroom is a modular, plain building with no colour or decoration on the walls
Students at Haygrove School have been learning in temporary buildings since the closure

Mr Fox wants the new building to be relocated to a different site for safety grounds, as he believes removing the main block with children on site would be impractical and "intolerable".

"The site is quite a small site at the moment, and of course you've got the condemned building in the middle of it, wrapped in plastic," he said.

"If the minister said to rebuild on the same site, you'd have to knock that old building down and build a new school while the pupils continue to be educated. I think that's completely the wrong decision."

Ashley Fox wearing a suit and pink tie with a blue Conservative badge on. He is standing in front of a Somerset Council banner in a grey-walled room.
Mr Fox says it would be "regrettable" if students were to spend their entire education at the school in temporary classrooms

The Prime Minister acknowledged the "seriousness of the situation" facing staff and pupils, and said the DfE are "pursuing all available avenues" to find a solution.

In a statement, the DfE said: “We are committed to delivering a long-term solution for Haygrove School, and are working at pace with the Local Authority to progress this while minimising disruption for the children, parents and teachers affected.”

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