GRAHAM has signed the contract for a £50 million redevelopment of Cranbourne Secondary School in Basingstoke, paving the way for a major overhaul of the existing campus and the replacement of buildings affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
The project will see seven existing buildings replaced by a new 10,000 sq m school at the current Wessex Close site, creating modern teaching, specialist learning and sports facilities for pupils and the wider school community.
Early works began during the summer, with foundation construction scheduled to get underway in the autumn as the main programme gathers pace.
The new school will comprise interconnected two and three-storey accommodation, bringing facilities that are currently spread across the 6.8-hectare campus together within a more consolidated and efficient building.
A significant range of specialist teaching spaces will be provided, including facilities for music, art, design and technology, ICT and humanities, alongside dedicated maths and science classrooms.
Sport will also form an important part of the redevelopment, with plans incorporating an activity studio, sports hall and swimming pool. Dedicated SEND accommodation will be included within the new school, together with an administration suite and separate entrances for the school and community.
The redevelopment extends beyond the main building, with extensive external works planned across the campus. These will include new sports pitches, reconfigured staff parking and a cycle shelter.
Sustainability measures are also being incorporated into the design, including green roofs and solar photovoltaic canopies to improve the environmental performance of the new school estate.
GRAHAM regional director Pat O’Hare said the new two and three-storey development would bring teaching, specialist learning and sporting facilities together under one roof, providing a significant improvement to the existing campus.
The project is particularly important given the presence of RAAC within some of Cranbourne Secondary School’s existing 1960s buildings. Their replacement forms part of the wider investment taking place across the education estate to provide safer, more modern and efficient learning environments.
The professional team includes Mason Navarro Pledge as structural engineer, while Cundall is providing MEP engineering services.
For GRAHAM, Cranbourne Secondary School represents its third appointment through the Department for Education’s Construction Framework 2021.
The contractor’s previous appointments through the framework include The Castle Rock School in Leicestershire and Oasis Academy Temple Quarter in Bristol, strengthening its portfolio of major education projects across the country.
With early works already under way and foundations set to follow this autumn, the £50 million investment will deliver a substantial transformation of the Basingstoke school estate, replacing ageing accommodation while bringing teaching, sports and specialist facilities together within a modern purpose-designed campus.
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