'New era' for school shut due to safety concerns

Plans for a new "learning village" next to a school in Nottinghamshire that closed after being deemed unsafe have moved forward.

St Peter's C of E Junior School in Ruddington was forced to close earlier in December after safety concerns were identified at the site.

Work on the learning village building that will accommodate all 350 pupils started in January and has been making progress.

Artist's impression imagery of what the new complex will look like has now been shared by Nottinghamshire County Council.

The new site was "well on track" to be ready by the start of the Easter holidays, so that pupils can move into their temporary new home in the new term, the council said.

The children were moved to other local schools in the area.

Head teacher Michael Bradley said he was thrilled by the design for the new learning village and impressed by the progress the project had made.

He said: "From the outset, we have all worked together to ensure that the learning village is not only constructed as quickly as possible but it is also designed as such that will allow every pupil to flourish.

"This represents a new era for St Peter's and the children of Ruddington and we cannot wait to get started."

The long-term plan will be to demolish the current building and rebuild the school, the council added.

Wayne Bexton, director of economy, environment and assets at Nottinghamshire County Council, said the authority was "working to a fast turn-around".

"We know how important it is for the school and community to have this temporary new home and we want to do everything we can to make sure they get the environment they deserve," he added.

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