Beaconfields Primary School and Nursery in Stafford, Dunstall Park Primary School and Garden Village Primary School both in Tamworth, will provide much-needed school places and state-of-the-art facilities for local children.

The schools have been built by Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, for Staffordshire County Council in partnership with Entrust, and were procured through the Constructing West Midlands (CWM) framework.

Built to meet the increase in local demand for pupil places by housing developments, the two-storey schools have welcomed their first set of pupils and will grow year-on-year to eventually accommodate 210 children each. The schools have a combined value of £20 million which represents a significant investment in the region’s educational infrastructure.

Beaconfields Primary School and Nursery, located on Ransom Avenue in Stafford, includes nine modern state-of-the-art classrooms, a library, a school hall with acoustic panelling, and catering facilities. The school also features multiple outdoor play areas and is managed by the Creative Learning Partnership Trust.

Situated within the Dunstall Park Estate in Tamworth, the new Dunstall Park Primary School features seven classrooms, a dedicated nursery area, an indoor hall, and outdoor sports facilities. This school is the second project delivered by G F Tomlinson that will be managed by the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP).

Located on Eagle Drive in Amington, Garden Village Primary Academy (main picture) also offers multiple classrooms, staff offices and an indoor sports hall, along with outdoor play areas and an extensive playing field. The academy will be managed by the Fiertè Multi Academy Trust.

Ready for pupils to start the 2024/25 academic year, the schools were designed using the Entrust ‘Touchstone’ model, which standardises design and specification to ensure build efficiencies, optimal learning environments and the capacity for future expansion. The energy efficient designs ensure optimal daylight and natural ventilation alongside high levels of insulation – to contribute to the council’s commitment to Climate Change and the Net Zero Agenda.

As part of G F Tomlinson’s commitment to delivering social value, a total of £1.3 million social value-added was provided across all three projects, including site tours for local residents and 172 apprentice weeks with valuable on-the-job training provided. 99% of construction waste was diverted from landfill and 77% of labour sourced locally within a 40-mile radius – contributing positively to the local environment and national carbon net-zero agenda.

Adrian Grocock, managing director of G F Tomlinson, said: “We are immensely proud to have completed the three schools in partnership with Entrust and Staffordshire County Council. This milestone marks our tenth school project delivered together, further strengthening our long-standing collaboration.

“The schools will provide vital education facilities for the growing communities in Staffordshire, offering modern and inspiring environments for children to learn and thrive. We look forward to continuing our work with Staffordshire County Council and Entrust, with future projects such as St John’s Grange Primary School, in Lichfield, already underway.”

Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education Jonathan Price said: “With an increase in demand for school places coming from local housing developments, the county council has worked hard to ensure there are sufficient school places in Stafford and Tamworth to accommodate pupils. By planning early and working with developers, we can ensure there are enough spaces to accommodate new housing developments.

“These brand new, bright and modern schools will grow year-on-year to provide the best foundation for hundreds of pupils as they start their educational journey. I’ve been pleased to watch these schools take shape over the past few months and seeing the delight of pupils as they start their school journey in brand new, bright and modern schools.”

Claire McAnulty, Entrust’s Managing Director, said: “Entrust’s property design team have worked in close collaboration with our partners to deliver this latest school project and we are incredibly proud of the end result. Our whole approach to design and project management is to strive to create better outcomes – with pupils, learning and our environment at the heart of our efforts.”

As the partnership with Entrust continues, G F Tomlinson remains committed to delivering projects that provide lasting value and benefit to local residents.

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