HUNDREDS of pupils at a secondary school will now be taught at a vacant school eight miles away for all of the next academic year.

The temporary closure of Oswaldtwistle’s Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School until the summer to demolish and rebuild two unsafe blocks has been prolonged – to the anger of many parents.

Now Lancashire County Council has extended the transfer of its 500-plus 11 to 16-year-old students to the vacant former Hameldon Community College in Burnley for the entire 2019/2020 school year.

The relocation of the pupils had been scheduled to only last for last few weeks of the summer term.

The school was partially-closed in October following the discovery of structural faults in two four-storey blocks housing the science laboratories, kitchen, dining area and general classrooms.

In March the council announced it would close Rhyddings and transfer all pupils to Hameldon from June 17, after its own pupils finished their exams, to the end of term on July 19.

Free buses will be provided to take pupils between the schools but the news has dismayed parents who say it will disrupt their children's lives.

Headteacher Andrew Williams announced the relocation would last through 2019/2020’s three terms.

Mr Williams said: “This decision has not been taken lightly.

“It has been decided that for health and safety reasons pupils should not return to the school until all the building work has been undertaken.

“After the demolition there will then be a rebuild of our specialist science accommodation, some general teaching areas, dining and kitchen facilities. As the building work will be taking place around the access road to the school, without a full closure of the site, we could not guarantee the safety of pupils.

“To minimise the disruption of changing campus partway through another school year, it has been decided that the Rhyddings school community will transfer for the whole of the next academic year.”

Mr Williams will be supported by a new an executive head during the work - John Tarbox the boss of Grindleton’s Bowland High, rated as ‘outstanding’.

Vicky Jackson, of Tinker Brook Close, whose 14-year-old son James attends Rhyddings, said: “This is going to be very inconvenient for the family. It will be disruptive to my son James’ education. He’s not very happy about it.

“It has to be done and at least the children will be going to school somewhere and not losing time in class.”

Oswaldtwistle county councillor Peter Britcliffe said: “This has turned into a mammoth undertaking which has to be done. It will cause disruption to the children’s education and inconvenience to hundreds of families.”

One mother said on Facebook: “ I just think it’s a shame for all the new starters in September and they aren’t now exactly going be at capacity for new pupils the year after. I’m really disappointed in the disarray.”

Another posted: “ I’m disappointed too. My daughter will spend the whole of year 10 over there then return for year 11. I am slightly worried about the upheaval and her GCSEs.”

A third mother said: “One question that needs to be answered is ‘Why Burnley? Surely there are places closer. This is a total mess!”

One father said on Facebook: “Shambles. Someone needs to be taken to account for why it’s been left that long. What a mess.”

Another posted: “Who is actually accountable for this chaos?”

Edwina Grant, the county council’s education director, said: “Allowing the pupils to remain at Hameldon for longer is a practical solution. It gives them extra stability and they can also focus entirely on their education.”