Matford Brook Academy, which officially opened in 2023, never welcomed a single pupil due to 'serious structural defects'
A "state-of-the-art" school near Exeter which cost millions to build will be torn down before even welcoming a single student into the building after a shocking Government U-turn.
Matford Brook Academy, which officially opened in 2023, never welcomed a single pupil due to "serious structural defects", now set to be completely rebuilt after repairing the existing structure was deemed infeasible.
The Department for Education has now confirmed demolition stands as the only viable solution, marking the latest development blunder already consuming millions of pounds.
Students enrolled at the all-through academy will remain in temporary accommodation until at least 2028 while a replacement building is constructed.
The school is situated at the heart of a large 2,500-home development, built on former farming land between Exminster and Alphington.
Building work on the unfit building began in 2021, but significant construction defects had emerged by the school's opening in 2023, including inoperable problems with the foundations.
Alarming reports indicated structural bolts were absent from the new building.
With the building unfit for operation, the initial cohort of pupils were forced to attend St Luke's school several miles away.
Further setbacks followed when ISG, the primary contractor responsible for the project, collapsed in 2024.
The Department of Education's recent investigation uncovered an array of serious structural and compliance failures, which would have required total dismantling and redesign work.
The school has now released a statement confirming it had received an update from the Government department on the permanent building's future.
A spokesman for the school said: "Their review found the building does not meet the required building standards in its current form and that it is not possible to resolve these issues to the required standard.
"The DfE has therefore decided that the best way forward is to replace the partially completed building with a new school building."
The department has pledged to appoint a trusted contractor with a proven delivery record to undertake the rebuild, as to avoid further complications.
Parents have been assured that daily education will continue uninterrupted via temporary classroom setups, for both current pupils and those joining this September.
Devon County councillor Alan Connett questioned how a brand new school that has never been used could require demolition, and said: "This begs many questions about the management and oversight of that contract."
That said, he expressed satisfaction that a decision had been reached, and commended both the quality of education being delivered at the school in the meantime, and the high standard of the modular buildings currently housing pupils.
The school acknowledged the news was disappointing for parents and pupils, but insisted it had offered clarity for the community.
An academy spokesman said: "Whilst there is still much detail to understand, we're pleased to now have a path forward towards our next chapter, and which results in the best school possible."
