Department for Education spent almost £900,000 on temporary school site in Blyth that was never used

Two contracts were signed with Module-AR, a modular building construction firm, in 2023 to provide short term facilities for Gilbert Ward Academy, a new secondary school for children with social, emotional, and mental health needs.

The school began teaching in September 2023 but its permanent facilities would not be ready for the start of term.

Module-AR was paid £884,779 to build a temporary site on Tynedale Drive to be used in the interim but the firm was hit by financial difficulties during the project and eventually entered administration.

Despite the government money spent on the project, the construction was never completed and the buildings went unused. Gilbert Ward Academy moved into its permanent home on Princess Louise Road earlier this year.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We have worked to prioritise face-to-face learning and all pupils have been on site in the new building at Gilbert Ward Academy since January.

“We are also reviewing our contracts, and seeking legal advice on how we can recover the costs where that contractor was involved.”

As the temporary site was not completed, the school instead used Briardale House and The Isabella Centre as interim homes.

Speaking in February after moving into the new building, headteacher Barry Reed told the Northumberland Gazette: “We had to open for our kids and their families.

“The main site was not available then so we moved into some temporary accommodations, and it was challenging there because they were not designed for our children.”

Furniture and computer equipment from the temporary buildings were recovered by the Department for Education and used at Gilbert Ward Academy’s permanent site.

The temporary buildings have been removed from Tynedale Drive by Vanguard Healthcare Solutions, which has since purchased much of Module-AR’s assets from administrators.

Gilbert Ward Academy was built by the Department for Education with a capital contribution from the Northumberland County Council after the local authority bid for funding through a government scheme to finance new free schools. It is run by Prosper Learning Trust.