Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow to be demolished
Shaun Whitmore/BBCA secondary school that opened four years ago is to be demolished amid safety fears, an MP has announced.
Teaching at Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow, Essex, has been repeatedly disrupted at the school since September.
A survey revealed issues with its "modular mode of construction" and fears were raised it would not survive extreme weather.
Tory MP for Harlow Robert Halfon said the school would be bulldozed.
He apologised for the disruption, which he said nobody should have experienced, and branded the past few months "an incredibly difficult time".
He revealed the decision was made by school system minister Baroness Diana Barran on Thursday, who spoke to parents during an online meeting that evening.
"The SFG building will be demolished and pupils and staff will be able to enjoy a brand new and fully functional school building," Mr Halfon announced on social media.
'Absolute disgrace'
Mark Ingall has two children at the school and is the former Labour leader of Harlow Council.
He said: "What a phenomenal waste of £29m - although the school was built in 2019, the school only opened two years ago and now it needs to be demolished."
Parents were told in the meeting that a new school would be ready in 2027.
The news sparked an angry response from members of the school community on Facebook.
"This is an absolute disgrace. Neither of my children will have the experience of a normal secondary school," one wrote.
Another added: "[The students] are the ones who will be impacted massively over the next few years before your 'new' school building opens."
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