New Location Proposed for Secondary School After Closure

The identification of a potential new location for a secondary school, which had to cease operations because of construction defects, has been made public. Education Minister Stephen Morgan affirmed his commitment to “rebuilding Haygrove School” during a visit conducted on Thursday. The school in Bridgwater, Somerset, experienced a partial closure in August 2023 due to safety issues. Subsequently, instruction has been conducted in temporary classroom facilities. Mr. Morgan stated that his department is “finalising an agreement” with Somerset Council for the school’s reconstruction on adjacent property at Queenswood Farm. Leanne Mills, the interim headteacher of the school, expressed a “sense of urgency” regarding the need for prompt action. She commented: “I think it wouldn’t be practical and wouldn’t be fair to our community for a school to be rebuilt on this current site.” A Department for Education (DfE) inspection determined that Haygrove’s primary building, erected in 2020 by Caledonian Modular, was unsafe because of structural integrity problems and “poor workmanship.” The abrupt closure resulted in some students missing instruction or being compelled to attend other locations before temporary classrooms were established. Given the proximity of the condemned structure to the temporary classrooms, worries exist that it would be excessively loud and hazardous for students to continue their education there. Mr. Morgan further stated: “We know that pupils at Haygrove School have faced continued disruption, and need clarity on what the future holds.” He continued: “We are continuing to work closely with the council on the next steps, including finalising an agreement to rebuild at the new site, Queenswood Farm.” Ashley Fox, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Bridgwater, indicated that the government, Somerset Council, and the Quantock Education Trust are collaborating to reach an agreement in principle for the new school to be situated at Queenswood Farm. This location is a greenfield site located within the school’s designated catchment area, which the school had previously evaluated for development in 2010. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.