Matford Brook Academy Demolition: Why the £31m School Is Being Torn Down

New £31m school facing demolition without welcoming a single pupil

Locals are fuming at the waste of taxpayers' money

‘State-of-the-art’ £31m school to be demolished without being used by pupils

Matford Brook Academy students will continue to use ‘village’ of temporary classrooms until at least 2028

Matford Brook Academy Demolition: Why the £31m School Is Being Torn Down

By the Education Magazine | July 8, 2026 The U.S. Department for Education (DfE) has ordered the demolition of Matford Brook Academy in Exeter after a structural review found serious safety defects in the £31 million school building. The school opened in 2023, but pupils have never used the permanent building. They have studied in temporary classrooms since day one because inspectors found foundation problems and missing structural bolts in the …