A fresh debate has opened over the location of Tipton St John’s new primary school, after a site in Ottery St Mary was put forward as the preferred option.

The Department for Education (DfE) has assessed sites in Tipton and outside it, and recommended the Thorne Farm site off Exeter Road, near The King’s School. This site was rejected by East Devon District Council in 2021 because that plan also included a large housing development to help finance the school rebuild. Now that Tipton Primary is on the priority list for the Government’s School Rebuilding Programme, with a promise of funding, the housing is no longer needed.

The proposal to rebuild Tipton Primary in Ottery St Mary is being supported by the school governors, the Executive Headteacher of the Otter Valley Federation and the local MP Simon Jupp. They all agree that if the DfE didn’t think any sites in Tipton were suitable, it’s vital to go ahead with the Ottery recommendation so that the safe new school can be built as soon as possible.

But local councillors, who have also campaigned for the rebuild for many years, argue that Tipton Primary School should remain in Tipton as it is part of the community, and they’re asking for the DfE report to be made available to the public.

The recommendation for the Ottery site was announced by Simon Jupp MP on social media at the end of last week. He published a letter to Devon County Council’s Cabinet member for Schools, Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, urging the council to ‘progress decision making without delay’. The county council is responsible for providing a suitable site for the school.

His letter said: “As MP I must support the option that will achieve the earliest possible of a new safe school. While it is regrettable that the DfE did not recommend sites in Tipton St John to be suitable, the priority must be the safety and security of the school and its children and hard-working staff.”

The school’s Chair of Governors Sarah Walls and Executive Headteacher Amanda Fulford have also published a letter in support of the Ottery site. They point out that the DfE report is not a decision-making document, and ‘aims to focus on issues of project deliverability rather than to consider any local policy or strategy priorities of each site’. With the funding in place and a ‘slot’ in the School Rebuilding Programme, they are keen to move forward with the plans for a ‘deliverable’ site.

The county councillor for the Otter Valley, Cllr Jess Bailey, doesn’t agree. She told the Herald:

"I'm extremely disappointed that MP Simon Jupp has given up on Tipton School remaining in Tipton and that he is now supporting its relocation to Ottery St Mary. 

"His announcement on social media will have come as a real blow to many residents of Tipton. The school lies at the heart of the community in Tipton and has done for generations.

"I have called an urgent meeting with Devon County Council officers and the cabinet member to discuss the situation. I have always supported the school remaining in Tipton St John.

"I have also submitted a request to the Department for Education that their report is published. It is vital that there is openness and transparency around this matter which is of key importance to the community of Tipton."