Haygrove School pupils in Bridgwater back to remote learning during Storm Agnes
It's because of issues surrounding their condemned main building, which was deemed unsafe by the Department for Education before the start of the new term
Last updated 6th Jul 2024
As Storm Agnes batters much of the region, some school pupils in Somerset are being forced to learn from home today.
Haygrove School in Bridgwater was ordered to shut its main building before the start of the new team because of safety issues.
They've called the situation 'far from ideal' after the Department for Education recommended the temporary closure of the school because of the adverse weather, with their headteacher adding they're working hard to make things right.
The news means students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 11 are back to remote learning just for the one day - whilst Year 10 students remain in-person, as they're asked to attend the Haygrove Campus at Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC).
It's all over issues with their main building, which was only built back in 2020, with the problems are separate to the RAAC scandal - involving buildings built from a type of concrete - and relate to a contractor going bust.
It's the third school built by the now-defunct construction company Caledonian Modular to be deemed unsafe by the Department for Education, with the Sir Frederick Harlow School in Harlow, Essex, and Buckton Fields Primary School in Northampton also having buildings closed.
In a statement on their website, headteacher Mr Reid said: "It is with great disappointment to say the Department for Education (DfE) has recommended we temporarily close the school site tomorrow, Wednesday 27th September, due to the named storm (Agnes) which is expected to affect our region tomorrow.
"The main school building is closed due to issues with structural integrity, which could potentially be impacted by adverse weather conditions. The health and safety of our students and staff is our absolute top priority, which is why we must close the full school site on Wednesday to ensure we are taking every possible precautionary measure as part of our robust health and safety procedures during this unprecedented situation.
"We are very sorry for the challenges this temporary closure will have on the families of students who are currently attending classes on our site, we realise this is far from ideal. Fortunately, we will not need to do this for every weather event as we have been assured by the DfE that once the current work underway to scaffold and wrap the main school building is complete, risk to the structure due to adverse weather will be mitigated. We do not yet know the expected date for the scaffolding and wrapping works to complete, but we will of course keep you updated as progress is made.
"Students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 11 will receive remote learning for Wednesday through our website.
"Year 10 students should attend the Haygrove Campus at Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) as usual. Further information has been emailed to parents.
"We are pleased to be able to say Baroness Barran, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education, visited Haygrove on Friday to see the extent of the challenges we are facing first-hand. She noted the huge efforts of our staff in doing everything possible to support students’ learning and congratulated us on the resilience the school community has demonstrated at this time. We are grateful for her support and will continue to work closely with her to ensure we are getting the best possible outcome for Haygrove.
"We really do share your frustration with this situation and thank you again as always for your continued support. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority and we will always do what we need to do to ensure everyone remains safe."
Read more: Partial returns starts today at Haygrove - as parents and councillors call for action