BUILDING delays at a £35m privately-financed Darlington school have left hundreds of pupils stuck with their old schools until next year.

Council chiefs had hoped the UK's first so-called education village, built on a brown-field site in the town, would be ready in two months' time.

But the construction company behind the work has admitted it might not be able to hit its deadlines.

The 1,400-pupil school has been hailed by the Government as a blueprint for future educational developments across the country.

It will combine the town's Haughton Community College, Springfield Primary School and Beaumont Hill Special School, and will teach pupils across an age range from three to 19.

Among the facilities will be a performance hall, two drama studios, dance and recording studios, and music practice room.

The football pitches have the same drainage system as Chelsea Football Club's Stamford Bridge ground.

Officials from councils across the country have visited the Haughton site, on the recommendation of the Department for Education and Skills.

Run on private-sector lines by a chief executive, the site will be paid for by constructor Kajima.

Under the terms of the project, Kajima will pay for the building and the upkeep for 25 years.

Darlington Borough Council will pay Kajima money every year and, after 25 years, will take over ownership.

The village was scheduled to open in November but, after Kajima cited bad weather during last winter for causing hold-ups, the council announced yesterday that the opening had been put back until the new year.

The council said Kajima had recently indicated that there could be a ten-day delay in the completion of the project.

As a result, town hall officials decided that it would be best to wait until after the Christmas holidays and open the village in January.

Children will now have to spend the next few months in their old schools.

Kajima has also built the £5.5m Harrowgate Hill School, which opens its doors this week.

But Tory councillors last night criticised the Haughton delay and said they hoped it did not bode ill for the project's future.

Barrie Armstrong, Conservative education spokesman for Darlington, said: "It is a disappointing start from a company whose hands we are going to be in for the next 25 years.

"They are going to be providing a range of facilities over that time, to agreed standards, so let's hope they are able to meet those standards.

"It's only a few weeks since a newsletter came out saying November was getting closer and closer, and excellent progress was being made."

The hold-up is understood to have caused heated discussions between the council and the developer over who has responsibility for security on the site.

But last night, the council's corporate services director, Paul Wildsmith, backed the the company.

He said: "We have every confidence in Kajima, who are delivering a first-class education facility for Darlington, as they already have with the new school at Harrowgate Hill.

"The education village is a project that will last for many, many years. A delay of ten days at the beginning of such an large-scale project is negligible.

"The rescheduled opening will not affect the children's education, nor will it cost Darlington tax-payers any money."

Letters were given to pupils at all three schools yesterday, informing them and their families of the situation.

Nobody from Kajima was available for comment last night