Prudhoe High School could be closed for up to nine months after being deemed unsafe

Prudhoe High School was closed on Monday after cracks were found in the building. Investigation work was carried out to determine the seriousness of the issue.

It had initially been expected that the results would not be available until the end of the month – but assessments have already determined that the building is not safe to continue operating and needs to remain closed.

A letter to parents, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, warns that the building could be closed for “six to nine months as a minimum”.

Alice Witherow, the CEO of the Cheviot Learning Trust academy chain that runs the school, issued a statement apologising to parents and pupils.

She said: “Along with all my colleagues, I am deeply saddened to bring you this news. I understand the anxiety this situation causes, especially for parents, students, and staff, and particularly for those in their GCSE and A level examination years.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the parents, staff, and community members for their continued support during this challenging time. The safety of our pupils and staff is our top priority, and while this situation is difficult, I am confident in the strength of our school community to navigate through it.”

The CEO also apologised to parents for the timing of this announcement, coinciding with the start of half-term. The CEO plans to hold meetings after the half-term break to share updates and address any questions to parents and families from the school.

A floor crack was identified on the upper floor of the building on February 10. The trust has said that the exact cause of the structural issue remains undetermined, although engineers are exploring whether high winds from Storm Eowyn may have contributed to a “structural movement”.

However, it has been stressed that this remains inconclusive, and further analysis is underway.

The trust is working with Northumberland County Council and the Department for Education to explore alternative options for providing education.

The school building itself is under a decade old. Work on the site began in 2016 and the school opened its doors to pupils in 2017.

Described as “state of the art” at the time, the £12.5 million school was one of 261 schools across the country that would be rebuilt through the Priority School Building Programme.

Coun Gordon Stewart, who represents the Prudhoe South ward and is a member of the council’s cabinet, said officers would work with the school in a supporting role.

He said: “This is devastating news for the staff, pupils, their families and the wider community. Safety must come first and the Trust was absolutely right to take such action.

“Northumberland County Council officers are working alongside the trust to support them and alternative provision is being sourced. I receive regular briefings. Please ignore ill informed social media comments which have not been helpful.”

Proposals for alternative provision include relocating to another site, partial relocation for specific year groups, or constructing temporary mobile classrooms. Pupils have spent the week accessing online classes – but Labour’s Coun Angie Scott, who represents the Prudhoe North ward, said this could not continue in the long term.

She said: “I don’t know what to say – this is really alarming. We need to know what we’re going to do and how we are going to support the kids – particularly those from families with keyworkers and those with special educational needs.

“I will be approaching Northumberland County Council to see how they are going to support the young people. I don’t think it is acceptable to home-school pupils for nine months.

“We need to get on and get things sorted out, whether that is another building in the area such as the Fuse.”

The Fuse is a media centre located next to the school that is owned and operated by the county council.