Primary school open delayed by a year

THE OPENING of a new primary school in Matthewsgreen has been delayed due to Covid-19.

The council and Keys Academy Trust, which will be running the school, and deferred the opening until 2022.

Originally due to open this September, the council decided to postpone due to the risk of Covid19.

The building work has also been delayed due to pandemic pressures.

In a statement, the council said: “Despite the best endeavours of all involved the completion of the school has been delayed until after the start of the new school year in September.

“Opening the new school in 2021 in these circumstances would create a range of risks to children and their education that the council sees as unacceptable.”

The council said the main reason for delaying, is to stop builders and pupils from being onsite at the same time.

“In normal times, opening the school with the contractors on site may have been acceptable, provided that a safe environment could be achieved and conflict with construction activity avoided,” the statement continued.

Cllr UllaKarin Clark, executive member for children’s services, said: “We’re lucky to have excellent primary schools across the borough which will be able to provide a place close to home for children in the area near the Matthewsgreen site.

“Though it was a difficult choice it is better to know for certain children will be on a safe site where construction work is not ongoing.

“I look forward to seeing progress on construction at Matthewsgreen continuing ahead of it being due to open next year.”

Hester Wooller, chief executive at The Keys Academy Trust, added: “We have been working closely with the council and the contractors during the last year.

“We are delighted to have the opening date of September 2022 confirmed and we will be launching the school’s website with information about the school and inviting prospective parents to a series of open events in the summer and autumn terms later in 2021.”