Coggeshall school hit by concrete crisis installs new buildings

Contractors have started installing new temporary buildings at one of the schools worst affected by the concrete crisis in Essex.

Honywood School in Coggeshall, near Braintree, was told last month it had to close half of its site including 22 classrooms.

Year 10 and 11 pupils were still being taught from home online.

However, the school says all pupils will return on 19 October once its two blocks of modular classrooms are built.

The new building has been branded as Space Village by the state comprehensive, which head teacher James Saunders said was a credit to his staff using "moon shot thinking" to try addressing the recent crisis.

The government published a list of 174 schools and colleges fitted with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), of which 62 were in the areas covered by the three local education authorities of Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council.

"I didn't want it to feel like we were stuck in something temporary," said Mr Saunders, speaking to BBC Essex.

"I wanted to bring it to life and to create some momentum around it, so we've given it a name, in honour of that idea, of moon shot thinking and making the impossible, possible."

Honywood has already erected a marquee on its field - something Mr Saunders publicly appealed for - and construction company Losberger De Boer is providing the new modular buildings.

The Department for Education had approved and would fund the project, the school said.

Space Village will be made up of 21 classrooms and toilets.

English and drama teacher Rebecca Cole said: "[The students] are just as excited as we are. They will really enjoy having a new area to work in that is up to spec, is shiny and exciting for them."

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