Haygrove School in Bridgwater has been in the wars. In August Haygrove School and Quantock Education Trust announced the school would not be open at the beginning of the Autumn Term. The DfE had undertaken technical investigations over the summer to determine its long-term viability. The school was only built three years ago.

The school claim to have been previously assured by the DfE that it was safe for our students and staff. However the DfE decided, following its surveys, that the main school building could not be used until further notice. It was one of three modular schools built by collapsed contractor Caledonian Modular. All have subsequently been told to close because of structural safety fears.

Since when the school have been using a number of alternative arrangements. staff, governors and local authority officials have worked tirelessly to find solutions. Since the closure of the structure there have been huge logistical problems for head teacher Aaron Reid and his team.

The Department for Education have now confirmed that the structural faults are too many and too severe to be fixed. As a result a new school will be built on nearby land at Queenswood Farm, which is already in the ownership of Somerset Council.

Commenting on the decision, local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, noted: “This is the obvious and most sensible solution to the problems at Haygrove and I am deeply grateful to the Government for recognising the reality of the current situation and deciding that a new Haygrove must be built from scratch.”
He went on to praise: “some magnificent teamwork on several fronts to argue the case for a new school – and current and future Haygrove students should be deeply grateful that they have such a dedicated and supportive team of staff and governors who have been prepared to fight so resolutely to provide a better educational future for them all.”