Member Article

£6m grant for ‘ill-thought-out’ Bexhill school to be redesigned

Despite only opening its doors five years ago, Bexhill High in East Sussex is to be redesigned at a cost of £6m.

Bexhill High, which cost £38m to building, moved to a new site in 2010 with the promise of “innovative” teaching and large open plan spaces for 90-pupil classes.

In 2012, the school became an academy run by Prospect Academies Trust but shortly after it was placed in special measures.

It will now be redesigned under new owners, with the head saying the layout impeded the progress of students.

Attwood Academies took over in 2014 after Prospect closed and will redesign the school with traditional classrooms.

Attwood Academies chairman Tom Attwood told the BBC: “The children of Bexhill have in recent years been let down badly by an ill-thought-out building design and, worse, a dreadful implementation of the new build.”

“We’ve spent an enormous amount of time trying to make sure that this is going to be done properly.

“The right things will be done. We work very closely with the Department for Education.

“We and they recognise it simply was not fit for purpose and the stuff we’re doing this time will make it fit for purpose.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .