PARENTS of children who had a place at the new Harrier Academy Primary School have now been told there won't be a school for their offspring to attend in September.

As reported on Thurrock Nub News last month, the contracted builders of the new school off Love Lane in Aveley have gone into administration and all work stopped on the site.

Now the trust behind the school has told parents there is no chance of it being built in time for the new academic year.

A statement issued by the  REAch2 Academy Trust says: "It is with great sadness we have to inform you the planned Harrier Primary Academy will not now be opening in September 2023.

"This is because the main building contractor has gone into administration and it has not been possible to make alternative temporary arrangements in time for the start of the new academic year.

"Parents had been informed in March that the contractor was going into administration and that REAch2 was exploring whether any temporary building options might be possible to protect the planned opening in September.

"REAch2 has today (Thursday, 14 April) written to all parents to let them know that with just five months until the start of the new academic year, this has not been possible. REAch2 and The Department for Education continue to be fully committed to opening Harrier Primary Academy, creating a new primary school for Thurrock and are working through the details of how to move the project forward.

Cathie Paine, Chief Executive of REAch2 said: "We are bitterly disappointed by this news, which sadly is beyond our control. We have exhausted all options for a temporary building with the Department for Education as that would have been preferable to deferring our opening date beyond September.

"Very reluctantly, we have written to all parents who had expressed an interest in their child starting school with us in September to let them know the news and to say how sorry we are that the building will not be ready in time.

 "We remain totally committed to delivering on our promise of a great new primary school for Thurrock and are just so disappointed it has not been possible to welcome our first year group this September.

"We will continue to work closely with the Department for Education to confirm a new timeline for opening and will do everything we can to drive that forward."