School shut over cracks may reopen in September
BBCA school which was closed due to safety concerns will reopen in the autumn term, its academy trust has said.
Prudhoe Community High School in Northumberland was shut in February after cracks were found in the first floor of the building, which is less than 10 years old.
Since then, pupils have been taught at Sunderland College's Washington Campus - 16 miles (25.7km) away from their school.
Cheviot Learning Trust's CEO Alice Witherow said "the best case scenario" could see pupils return by September, but warned parents the situation could drag out until Christmas.
"The precise time frame is still emerging so we are planning for both possibilities," Ms Witherow said.
"As a relatively new school, the building is under warranty and the original builders, as part of their contract, have the right to repair the building under that warranty.
"Following investigations by different parties, the builders have given assurance that they have the capacity and workforce to undertake any remediations required. This means that the building can be reopened in the autumn term."
'Stress for families'
The school was built in 2016 at a cost of £14.6m under the previous Conservative government's priority school building programme (PSBP).
An investigation is under way into the damage but an exact cause has yet to be uncovered.
Ms Witherow said the building's concrete and steel frame had "performed in a way that was not expected", which caused cracks to appear on the first floor.
The school will only be reopened once Department for Education technical advisors deem the building safe, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Labour's Hexham MP Joe Morris said he had been inspired by school staff who had "worked at pace to minimise disruption to learning".
"I also want to recognise the stress this has caused the families and carers of those studying at Prudhoe Community High School and, most of all, the hard work of the students," he said.
"Relocation while studying has caused immense stress to those students, and we should all recognise and celebrate their accomplishments."