MP Josh Dean meets heads of Bishop’s Stortford schools hit by ISG collapse

Bishop’s Stortford’s MP Josh Dean has pledged his support for the two secondary schools in the town hit by the collapse of construction company ISG.

To learn more about the impact, he visited Dale Reeve, head of The Bishop’s Stortford High School at St James’ Park, where he also discussed his concerns about plans for a drive-thru McDonald’s next to the campus.

He also met Rhys Jones, principal at Avanti Grange on the Stortford Fields estate – and Mr Dean’s former geography teacher at Richard Hale School in Hertford.

ISG, the UK’s sixth largest construction firm by turnover, is believed to have won contracts for dozens of Government projects worth more than £1 billion. In Bishop’s Stortford, the contracts for both secondaries were worth more than £60m.

The high school, where staff and students have been settling in since the start of the month, is hardest hit. There is outstanding work including completion of the sports hall, car parking and landscaping.

Avanti Grange’s teachers and pupils have been at their new campus since September 2023. Their building just has “minor snagging issues”, but a bridge linking the teaching blocks to playing fields on the other side of the A120 is yet to be built.

Mr Dean said: “I’m very grateful to Mr Jones at Avanti Grange and Mr Reeve at The Bishop’s Stortford High School for taking the time to welcome me to their new premises yesterday (Thursday September 26).

“It was a pleasure to find out more about the work being done in each of their schools to build their students' confidence as young people and ensure they are receiving a high-quality education. They are a credit to our community.

“On both visits we discussed the impact of ISG’s collapse into administration and how I can support their schools.

“I have been briefed by [education authority] Hertfordshire County Council, who will be keeping me up to date with any developments, and my office will continue to monitor the situation closely. I have offered Avanti Grange, The Bishop’s Stortford High School and the county council my full support going forward.

“As part of my visit to The Bishop’s Stortford High School, Mr Reeve and I discussed our shared concerns regarding the proposed McDonald’s drive-thru in the St James’ Park development, in close proximity to the school’s new site.

“I’m actively discussing next steps in addressing these concerns with my team and I will keep residents updated on any action I take.”