Parents of pupils at Sidmouth Primary School are being reassured that the long-awaited redevelopment of its Manstone Avenue site is still in the pipeline.

Back in 2020 the school was operating from three sites - Manstone Avenue, Woolbrook Road and Vicarage Road - when the Department for Education awarded funding for a remodelling and expansion of the Manstone Avenue site. East Devon District Council granted planning permission for it in September 2021. The plan was to increase the number of pupils at the expanded Manstone site and stop using the Vicarage Road premises.

But the redevelopment has still not gone ahead, and the school is currently split between Vicarage Road and Woolbrook Road, with the Manstone Avenue site disused.

 Sidmouth Primary School is run by First Federation Trust, a multi-academy trust comprising 21 primary schools in Devon and West Dorset. 

A spokesperson for the trust said there had been setbacks to the plans, but the redevelopment will still go ahead and will still be paid for by the Department for Education.

In a statement to the Herald they said: "The Trust was extremely fortunate to be awarded funding in August 2020 from the Department of Education for the redevelopment of the Manstone site at Sidmouth C of E Primary School.

"The school currently operates over two, fully functioning sites at Vicarage Road and Woolbrook Road which offer normal working conditions.

"Unfortunately, external factors such as the inflation of building costs have had an impact on the delivery of the development of the Manstone site, and works were further delayed when the designated construction company went into administration, although no funding was paid to this company.

"We understand the frustrations and we are working hard to move forward as soon as we can. We are now at the stage where the new plans are being discussed with the DfE for agreement and once developed, the new site will offer the pupils at Sidmouth a fantastic indoor and outdoor space."