A SCHOOL built on defective foundations is to be demolished and rebuilt less than ten years after it opened.

Last year, South Bank Primary School, built under the previous government’s private finance initiative (PFI), was forced to close temporarily for urgent repairs.

Now, following discussions with parents and pupils, it has been decided that the best solution to the problem is to pull it down and start again.

Carillion suspended work on the site in April following the discovery that the majority of the foundations were built on a defective fill material when the school was built in 2006 by Mowlem plc.

A structural engineer’s report, commissioned by Carillion, now proposes the rebuild and will result in pupils and staff moving back to the school in the Spring of 2017. Carillion will be footing the bill for the work.

Headteacher Helen Hall said: “It is vital that the long-term disruption to the school community is kept to an absolute minimum and we go back to ‘normality’ as soon as possible. We are pleased that a long term solution is finally being consulted on and the uncertainty of the schools future can stop.

"The move to the Teesville site has not been without its issues and this was always intended as a short-term answer, however the school, local authority and Carillion will work together to ensure this is a sustainable solution and that the children’s learning remains at the heart of all decisions to improve the building and educational entitlement even further.”

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's cabinet member for children, Cllr Craig Hannaway said: “The staff, governors and community have worked tremendously hard in their temporary accommodation to provide excellent learning opportunities that were recognised by Ofsted to be ‘good with outstanding features’, however it is important that a permanent solution be found and a new school built in South Bank at the earliest opportunity."

Carillion Building North Director Mark Nicholson said the best way forward would be to demolish the school and rebuild it on the same site.

He said: “Carillion is committed to providing a complete resolution to the ongoing issues at South Bank School.

"Following extensive work and testing at the school, it has been determined that the problem with the fill is much more extensive than was originally thought. Carillion believes the best way forward to provide the quickest and a permanent solution is to demolish the existing school and rebuild it.

"We will now be working with the Local Authority and South Bank School to progress the plans.”