Recently built school in Northampton set to be demolished and rebuilt due to "poor workmanship"

A recently built primary school in Northampton is set to be demolished following concerns about its safety.

The government has confirmed that Buckton Fields Primary School, which admitted its first cohort in September 2021, will be demolished due to issues with its structural integrity.

Following a survey earlier this year, the Department for Education (DfE) informed the school in September that it would have to temporarily close, with students forced to learn at a sister site ever since.

The issue was related to the building’s “structural integrity” – which “weakens its ability to withstand adverse events such as very high winds or significant snowfall,” according to the DfE.

At the time, the DfE also told the Chron that there were ‘numerous problems associated with poor workmanship, which will impact the longevity of the buildings’.

And now, in a letter written by Baroness Barran to Daventry MP Chris Heaton Harris this month (December), it has been confirmed that the school, built by Caledonian Modular, will be demolished.

The letter says: “I am writing to confirm the decision to rebuild the permanent buildings for Buckton Fields Primary School in your constituency. The department will now begin the process of procuring a new building contractor to demolish the buildings and undertake a new build. We will continue to engage with you throughout the delivery of the new school.”

Responding, Chris Heaton-Harris MP said: “Following the recent closure of Buckton Fields Primary School, I have been keeping up to date with developments regarding the future of the site. The DfE has confirmed that the school’s existing permanent buildings will be replaced with a new build. I will continue to engage with the DfE and Preston Hedges Trust while this project is ongoing, and I look forward to the provision of a safe and high-quality new build on the site.”

Chief Executive of Preston Hedges Trust, Paul Watson said: “While we certainly would not have ever wanted to be in the position we now find ourselves in, we are pleased there is now certainty over the existing school building at Buckton Fields, and have been given a clear timeline for when our new permanent home on the site will be ready by the DfE.

“When we learned of the structural issues at the existing building – and similar buildings across the country – we started preparing for this eventuality and now have fully scoped plans in place to make sure all our pupils remain safe, happy and learning during this period of time.

“In December our new interim buildings will begin to arrive for installation on a different area of the site and we are excited to begin working in them, to bring them alive and recognisable as the fun and creative environments we all know and love at Buckton Fields School. We will move into these buildings in February.

“The way this school community has pulled together has been nothing short of remarkable, making sure pupils have continued to receive the very best educational experiences and outcomes. We now look forward to moving back onto the site early next year and keeping track of the progress of our new permanent home.”

In September, the DfE confirmed to this newspaper that three schools built by Caledonian Modular – Buckton Fields Primary, Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow, and Haygrove Secondary in Bridgwater – had been “advised not to reopen due to structural irregularities.”

Earlier in the year, two schools built by Caledonian Modular, which has reportedly gone into administration, were demolished before construction was completed.