CHILDREN at the brand new primary school in Okehampton are facing a delay to move into their new building, with its contractor blaming technical issues for the hold up.

St James’s Church of England Primary School will now not be opening on its permanent site off Crediton Road until mid to late spring.

The new school, the long-awaited second primary for the town, was supposed to be ready for its first reception cohort in January next year.

The primary school’s first reception intake are currently meeting in self-contained premises at the existing Okehampton Primary School.

Contractors Morgan Sindall said in a statement that ‘technical issues on site’ were responsible for ‘a short delay in the construction programme’.

Head of school Suzie Stevens said: ‘Whilst parents were obviously a little disappointed to hear about the delay, they are pleased to be kept informed and are really looking forward to seeing the new school for themselves.

‘We are grateful for their enthusiasm and support as we work in partnership to establish and grow our new school.’

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: ‘As often happens on building projects, there has been an unfortunate, short delay in construction.

‘The 12 current pupils, who are presently being accommodated at Okehampton Primary School, were due to move in after Christmas, but the completion date has now had to be moved back to mid-February.’

The news comes as children and their parents prepare to visit the new school tomorrow (Friday) for a first tour. This follows a visit to the school by the contractors to talk to the children about construction site safety. Morgan Sindall marketing manager Carla Wilkinson said the school roof would be going on in the next few weeks.

‘We are currently in week 20 on site,’ she said. ‘The project will really start to look like a school over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!’

The new school will welcome its second reception intake next September. Initially it will be able to acccommodate 210 children but with space for it to be enlarged to 420 places as people move into some 900 new houses gradually being built east of Okehampton.

Government rules dictate that new schools have to be academies, run independently of local authority control, but Devon County Council is still responsible for providing land and the building costs of around £5-million. It received three bids from potential school sponrors to run the school, plumping for the Diocese of Exeter’s bid to run it as a Church of England primary school. While the new school has a ‘distinct Christian ethos’, it will also be ‘open, inclusive and welcoming’ to all faiths.