NATIONAL contractor Stepnell is bolstering its reputation in the education sector across the South West, as the business works on its sixth school project in Dorset in the operating year. Stepnell’s work across the multi-million-pound school projects, which include renovating buildings dating from the early twentieth to the twenty-first century,
SCHOOL EXPANSION PROVIDES HUNDREDS OF NEW PUPIL PLACES FOR HILLINGDON HUNDREDS of new primary school places will be the result of an extensive refurbishment and expansion of Nanaksar Primary School in Hillingdon, West London, which has now been completed. Nanaksar Primary School is part of the Guru Nanak Multi-Academy Trust,
Bouygues UK has formally handed over the keys to the newly-completed sbarc|spark building at Cardiff University, which was officially opened on St David’s Day, 1st March 2022. The new building is the largest innovation facility of its kind in Wales, featuring 12,000m sq of floor space across six storeys, with commercial units and
A Shropshire building contractor has secured the contract for a new £5.1m girls’ house at one of the UK’s top independent schools. The new facilities for day and boarding students at Shrewsbury School will be the 12th scheme Pave Aways has completed at the co-educational school for 13 to 18-year-olds. Other
Work on a new £20million community hub in Chryston has begun, with a turf-cutting event to mark the start of construction taking place on Monday 28 February. North Lanarkshire Council is working in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire on the project that will deliver a 21st-century learning environment along with state-of-the-art
Award-winning UK construction, refurbishment and fit out company, Gilbert-Ash, has been appointed main contractor on a £22 million project to develop a building for the performing arts at Brighton College. Gilbert-Ash is set to move on site on February 21 with the scope of works including the demolition of existing
Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction works on the new Anker Valley Primary School in Tamworth, Staffordshire. The opening ceremony for the new school took place towards the end of 2021, with MP Christopher Pincher, County Councillor Jonathan Price from Staffordshire County Council, representatives from G F Tomlinson
Scotland’s five regional hub companies have delivered 151 new schools and nurseries to the value of £2 billion across Scotland. The public-private partnership bodies will come together for the Learning Places Scotland conference on 23rd November at the SEC Glasgow to showcase their success in creating modern learning facilities that
R G Carter has completed the £11.4 million Digi-Tech Factory at Norwich City College which brings together the college’s digital skills provision into a single, purpose-built space, allowing the college to significantly increase the number of students and apprentices studying digital courses. City College Norwich, New Anglia LEP, and Norwich City Council (through the Department for
Construction works have started on a new primary school in Fradley Park in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson is leading construction of the school, which will offer 210 primary and 26 nursery places to the local area when complete. “We’re very pleased to be working with framework partner
NATIONAL contractor Stepnell is bolstering its reputation in the education sector across the South West, as the business works on its sixth school project in Dorset in the operating year. Stepnell’s work across the multi-million-pound school projects, which include renovating buildings dating from the early twentieth to the twenty-first century, is contributing to the county’s upgrading programme and adding to an ever-growing portfolio of education building expertise. Stepnell began their sixth project, a major renovation at Coombe House, on the outskirts of Shaftesbury in October 2021. Formerly St Mary’s School – a Roman Catholic day and boarding school for girls that was closed in July 2020 due to funding issues – the 165,000 square feet of mixed-use accommodation set within 55 acres was purchased by Dorset Council for £10 million as part of the council’s five-year £145 million capital programme. The project is due to complete in spring 2022. Previously, three projects have been completed on behalf of Gillingham Primary School, Ferndown Upper School and Blandford Upper School, with Coombe House, Woodroffe School, and Corfe Hills School currently underway. Corfe Hills School works are part of the efficiency estate programme and involve extensive remodelling and refurbishment of an existing year block. Provision of all new M&E Services, and IT Services. This also includes the provision of existing services to the remainder of the school at all times whilst implementing all new M&E and IT services. Provision of new classrooms, new windows and doors and associated ventilation. Formation of new IC’S and assistance with the decant of a number of classrooms. All works are taking place in a live school environment with works in close proximity to occupied classrooms. The project at Ferndown comprised of alterations to classrooms through new stud partitions, suspended ceilings and new flooring. At Blandford Upper, new ceilings, toilets and shower cubicles formed part of the refurbishment of the changing rooms. Remedial fire stopping works and fire doors were implemented between compartments to the roof void of block four. Furthermore, fire stopping measures were installed between the stairwells in block H and the adjoining class and storerooms. Rob Speirs, regional managing director of Stepnell, said: “Working within live sites in educational settings poses unique challenges but we are delighted to have been able to safely and efficiently complete works around the opening requirements of the school. The result is an enhanced space for high-quality education via the remodelled year block and existing school areas.” Rob added: “We were thrilled to have secured the redevelopment project for Coombe House, which will be pivotal in increasing the accessibility to high quality SEND institutions in Dorset. “Alongside our completed projects at Ferndown Upper School and Blandford Upper School, each development has shown Stepnell’s capability to form strong collaborations – including with Dorset Council and architects Kendall Kingscott. Our works in the region are helping to enable more resilient communities in a county where parents are desperate for their children to be educated to a high quality and meet their needs closer to home.” To find out more about Stepnell visit: www.stepnell.co.uk or join the conversation at @Stepnellltd.
SCHOOL EXPANSION PROVIDES HUNDREDS OF NEW PUPIL PLACES FOR HILLINGDON HUNDREDS of new primary school places will be the result of an extensive refurbishment and expansion of Nanaksar Primary School in Hillingdon, West London, which has now been completed. Nanaksar Primary School is part of the Guru Nanak Multi-Academy Trust, which has an exceptional track record of establishing successful schools. Its founder – Sant Baba Singh Ji – believes that education is a human right for children and has established 19 schools worldwide. Designed by architecture firm CPMG Architects, and delivered by contractor Bowmer + Kirkland, the £14m project includes new, purpose-built facilities to accommodate up to 840 pupils across all primary years. The new school space – built for the Department for Education – provides a warm, friendly and inclusive environment, accompanied by excellent outdoor sporting, social and learning spaces. This includes a dedicated outdoor horticultural area to reflect a key part of the Nanaksar ethos and curriculum, providing an invaluable space for learning about plants and plant care, along with the production of fruit and vegetables as healthy food choices. A generously sized greenhouse is also included along with a series of raised beds for cultivation. Hugh Avison, director at CPMG Architects, said: “It was rewarding to have been able to enhance the external areas to really maximise opportunities for outdoor learning. We made the most of the awkward tapering geometry of the site by creating an orchard, which provides a valuable natural asset to the school campus. In addition, as it matures it will become an important extension to the existing woodland within the Minet Country Park, expanding ecological corridors and benefitting local biodiversity. The planted sedum roof to the main hall spaces provides a further haven for wildlife. “Another important consideration for the school was the provision of a really supportive environment for the pupils. The building design and layout provides clear sight lines, views across the landscape, small group breakout spaces, as well as distributed staff spaces for pastoral support. “Overall, we’re genuinely pleased to have played an important part in providing best start to schooling life that all pupils deserve, and to have helped increase the number of high-quality education places for the local community.” To support with age progression, younger students are prioritised on the ground floor, with direct access from the reception classrooms to outdoor terrace areas, which minimises their need to use stairs. From this, the building organisation establishes physical progression up the building as pupils move up through year groups. The arrangement within the teaching wing of the school has been developed to group together four classrooms associated with each year group, accompanied by a dedicated breakout space. Teaching corridors are also split into year group zones, identified by different interior colours and finishes. Externally, the designs make use of traditional brickwork in an understated and contemporary manner to create a light and welcoming visual appearance, balancing a fresh and independent identity for the school. These two styles of brickwork add warmth and texture, while minimising maintenance requirements to create a building that stands the test of time. Within this, the primary school setting is reflected in more playful elements such as a patterned wall at the main entrance, colourful surfaces and inventive playline markings. Aftab Ahmed, head of business operations and chief operating officer at Nanaksar Primary School, said: “We are so pleased with the new school facilities provided by the team. This work has marked a major investment for the community in Hillingdon for current and future generations. “The new school facilities create a safe, welcoming and friendly environment that meets the needs of our current and future pupils across all communities. The facilities not only deliver a great teaching space but allows the teachers deliver the high quality of education using various resources incorporated within the build. “The work delivered will make sure that everyone thrives in this environment, and that our students get the very best start to their education possible.” The project team consists of landscape architects Ares, planning consultant DPP, structural engineer and highways consultant Curtins, building services engineer CPW, technical advisors MACE and main contractor Bowmer + Kirkland.
Bouygues UK has formally handed over the keys to the newly-completed sbarc|spark building at Cardiff University, which was officially opened on St David’s Day, 1st March 2022. The new building is the largest innovation facility of its kind in Wales, featuring 12,000m sq of floor space across six storeys, with commercial units and lab spaces for spinouts and start-ups. Designed by Hawkins\Brown architects, the building houses an eye-catching Oculus staircase – the first of its kind in the UK – which was designed and produced by Taunton Fabrications. The sbarc|spark build began in 2018 and is the first building to be completed on the University’s Cardiff Innovation Campus. Bouygues UK remains on site at the Translational Research Hub (TRH) – a building situated adjacent to sbarc|spark – which will house two world-leading scientific research establishments; the Institute for Compound Semiconductors and Cardiff Catalysis Institute. TRH is due for completion in the middle of the year. Featuring collaborative working spaces, auditorium and RemakerSpace, sbarc|spark locates 400 experts from 12 social science research groups alongside Cardiff Innovations@sbarc – the University’s home for partnerships. It will eventually be home to 800 people, providing an innovative space to nurture and grow tomorrow’s big ideas, with dedicated space for student entrepreneurs and start-ups. The building also benefits the local community as the ground floor will be a public open space with a café and a flexible auditorium for TEDx-style events. Bouygues UK Operations Director for Wales, Stephen Davies, said: “Our team have achieved a major milestone in handing over the sbarc|spark building for our valued client Cardiff University. Our team and trusted supply chain partners have worked tirelessly to deliver a facility of the highest quality and it is so rewarding for them to finally see the smiling faces of the client and their tenants as they start to occupy the building. “We would like to thank Cardiff University, Gleeds and all our partners on the project in achieving the successful handover of the sbarc|spark building and look forward to their continued support as we drive towards completion of the full facility. “We are extremely proud of the teams’ commitment to social value and the community which include 471 hours of staff time donated to education and community support and 5,957 weeks of employment delivered for apprentices, trainees, graduates and previously unemployed people. In addition, more than 70% of site contractors and labour was sourced locally during the build, bringing economic benefits to Wales.” Professor Damian Walford Davies, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, has overseen the delivery of the centre. He said of the opening: “We celebrate the opening of sbarc|spark confident that the vision that inspired it – that of a community of Cardiff University researchers with social and economic wellbeing as their subject and goal, co-located with external partners with innovation in their souls in a building designed to eliminate barriers – will now be lived reality.”
A Shropshire building contractor has secured the contract for a new £5.1m girls’ house at one of the UK’s top independent schools. The new facilities for day and boarding students at Shrewsbury School will be the 12th scheme Pave Aways has completed at the co-educational school for 13 to 18-year-olds. Other significant projects it has carried out at the school include the academic building Hodgson Hall, the Chatri Design Centre and the extension and refurbishment of the Barnes Theatre. The new house will be the fifth house for female students and has been designed by Adrian James Architects, which was responsible for Hogdson Hall. It will provide single and communal bedrooms for students and staff accommodation with shared facilities including a house hall, kitchen and TV room. Work will start in early April with completion in the summer term of 2023. Pave Aways will use its expertise in low carbon construction to deliver the highly sustainable blueprint, which includes a ‘fabric first’ highly insulated and airtight skin, plus a mechanical ventilation system, air source heat pumps and a photo voltaic panels to generate electricity. Managing Director Steven Owen said: “The new house is an exciting development in the evolution of Shrewsbury School and we’re delighted to have been trusted to build it. “Our experience in building low or zero carbon facilities for schools, coupled with our pedigree in the education sector, has been key to securing this contract. Having delivered a series of these schemes in the past two years, including the first ever Passivhaus school in Mid Wales, has given us a strong foundation in the skills required and a supply chain that is well equipped to support us.”
Work on a new £20million community hub in Chryston has begun, with a turf-cutting event to mark the start of construction taking place on Monday 28 February. North Lanarkshire Council is working in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire on the project that will deliver a 21st-century learning environment along with state-of-the-art health and wellbeing facilities. The new community hub is being delivered by hub South West, the development partner of North Lanarkshire Council with construction partner Robertson Construction and will replace the existing Chryston Primary School as well as provide a new Community Health Clinic. Councillor Frank McNally, Convener of Education and Families, broke ground on the site by cutting the first turf. He said: “Today’s event is another clear example of the council’s vision for its local communities to provide first class learning environments for pupils and teaching staff and deliver excellent facilities for the wider community to benefit from. “The new facility will provide the children and residents of Chryston and surrounding areas with superb facilities. “Our integrated town hubs and the smaller community hubs are modernising the entire school estate and offer multiple services from the council and our partners. “We’re delivering significant investment across North Lanarkshire that will benefit people of all ages now and for generations to come.” Plans for the hub include high-quality outdoor and indoor sports facilities; an extensive landscaped playground for the school; healthcare gardens for clinic patients and staff; and community greenspaces and paths designed to enhance connections across the site and encourage active travel. The new learning facility will see up to 509 pupils learn in naturally lit, flexible spaces and be flexible to accommodate a wide range of learning requirements. One of the exciting features developed by Ryder is the landscape design which creates seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor environments with all class bases benefiting from direct access to the playground. And pupils will be able to take part in daily mile walks with a route which is indicated with footprints around the site. Outdoor play equipment also includes bug hotels, allotment beds, and a fire pit surrounded by log seating, all provide different teaching and learning opportunities for the school. Plans for the clinic include the provision of seven treatment/clinical rooms and a group room to support the delivery of local health services in state of the art health and wellbeing facilities including garden areas. The new community health clinic will provide a larger, more modern facility than the existing Muirhead Clinic, which only allows a small range of community health services to be provided locally due to its size and lack of any dedicated car parking. It will continue to operate its existing services while the new clinic is built. Maggs Thomson, Head of Health, Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire, said: “This is a major milestone towards delivering a new state-of-the-art health clinic for Chryston and the surrounding area. “It will be a purpose-built clinic providing clinical services close to where people live and ensure local people no longer need to travel to Glasgow for certain services. “Through detailed engagement with local service users and stakeholders we will develop a modern facility meeting the needs of people in the area. “This partnership working also means services will continue to run at the existing health clinic during construction, and then transfer to the new facility once completed, meaning there should be minimal disruption for patients and service users.” Michael Ross, Chief Executive, hub South West, said: “It is fantastic to celebrate the start of this exciting project and continue our close working relationship with North Lanarkshire Council in delivering its programme of works. “Our unique partnering approach and focus on the benefits to both the local community and local economy, coupled with our focus on quality and continuous improvement, will ensure this facility is enjoyed for generations to come.” Andy McLinden, Robertson Construction Central West, said: “Our experience in the education and healthcare sectors will allow us to deliver a state-of-the-art facility that not only supports the Council’s vision but that the whole community can be proud of. “Chryston Community Hub is the first project we will deliver on behalf of hub South West since securing Tier 1 status last year and we look forward to engaging with the people of Chryston as the build progresses.” Children and young people, staff, parents and the local community all played a significant role in developing the design for the campus. We worked closely with them to ensure the design reflected our aspirations while taking into account the local community’s requirements and the area’s natural heritage and architecture. The new facility is expected to be operational by August 2023.
Award-winning UK construction, refurbishment and fit out company, Gilbert-Ash, has been appointed main contractor on a £22 million project to develop a building for the performing arts at Brighton College. Gilbert-Ash is set to move on site on February 21 with the scope of works including the demolition of existing buildings and the construction of a 400-seat multifunctional theatre, dance and drama studio. It also includes classrooms for English and Drama and a social space for gatherings. Due to complete in February 2024, it’s the company’s third major project in the East Sussex resort and comes just months after Gilbert-Ash handed over the impressive business school at the University of Brighton. Gilbert-Ash Managing Director, Ray Hutchinson, said the company has a track record of delivering stand-out projects for the performing arts such as the Stirling Prize winning Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. He said: “Gilbert-Ash is very proud to be undertaking such a prestigious project at Brighton College. This is a school steeped in history and academic excellence having recently been awarded the title of School of the Decade by the Sunday Times. “Under the leadership of Headmaster, Richard Cairns, the school has embarked on an ambitious 10-year masterplan of new buildings with the new performing arts building being the final act in that substantial plan. The project has been named Project 175 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the College. Gilbert -Ash is looking forward to working closely with our client, the design team and our trusted supply chain to bring to life the remarkable plans for this new building.” Due to the historical significance of the college, the new development will take place within a Conservation Area and adjacent to listed buildings. With the college now home to over 1200 pupils and 400 staff, the campus expanded through the years although some areas are now unsuitable for its programmes. The completion of Project 175 will help the college deliver its vision for drama over the next 10 years. Gilbert-Ash attributes its continued success to its ‘As One’ approach and its unique working culture and family environment as an employee-owned company. It continues to complete a broad portfolio of successful construction projects across sectors including arts and culture, workplace, hotels and leisure, education, science and technology, retail, residential and student accommodation.
Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction works on the new Anker Valley Primary School in Tamworth, Staffordshire. The opening ceremony for the new school took place towards the end of 2021, with MP Christopher Pincher, County Councillor Jonathan Price from Staffordshire County Council, representatives from G F Tomlinson and Head of School Natalie Horlor in attendance, as well as 50 guests. “We are very pleased to see the newly-built Anker Valley Primary School now open, on behalf of our client Entrust for Staffordshire County Council, through their Construction Project framework,” said Chris Flint, managing director of G F Tomlinson. “We have strong experience in educational projects across the Midlands and are delighted to have delivered this brand-new primary school to the Staffordshire region, providing much-needed school places for young children in the local area.” “The school sits within a new residential development in a great location close to the centre of Tamworth, and will provide high quality educational facilities for the growing community here. The opening ceremony was a wonderful way to mark the special occasion, and it was great to see the smiles on the children’s’ faces as they sang for attendees and explored their new school.” The occasion was marked with speeches and a presentation of the school’s journey, as well as a special ceremony awarding 24 pupils with medals made especially for the occasion. The children also put on a singing performance for everyone attending the event, before the school was officially opened by MP Christopher Pincher and County Councillor Jonathan Price. Construction of the £5million, two-storey school was led by G F Tomlinson, on behalf of its client Entrust for Staffordshire County Council and offers 210 places, including 26 nursery spaces. It was built in response to Tamworth’s new housing developments creating an increased need for additional school places in the area. The school is being managed by Fiertè Multi Academy Trust – which currently has seven other schools in the Tamworth and Burton area. “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination and hard work and so many people have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for almost three years to create this dream. The incredible Anker Valley team, along with the fantastic builders, went above and beyond unpacking deliveries, assembling furniture and getting every room ready for the arrival of our first cohort of children in September 2021,” said Natalie Horlor, Head of School at Anker Valley Primary School. “Everyone has a dream but not everyone can make it happen. As Eleanor Roosevelt said: the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams and at Anker Valley, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for helping us to achieve our dream.” This is one of a number of educational schemes that G F Tomlinson is involved with in the West Midlands alongside Entrust, as the Derby-headquartered firm is also constructing Bramshall Meadows First School in Lichfield and Fradley Park Primary School in Uttoxeter for Staffordshire County Council.
Scotland’s five regional hub companies have delivered 151 new schools and nurseries to the value of £2 billion across Scotland. The public-private partnership bodies will come together for the Learning Places Scotland conference on 23rd November at the SEC Glasgow to showcase their success in creating modern learning facilities that will benefit communities for many years to come. The hub companies continue to build on their successful track record with a further £310 million of education projects under construction and £524 million in development. An independent report published this year by economic and social researchers, EKOS Ltd, found that the hub programme has performed well against its objectives, delivering substantial social impacts and community benefits across Scotland. The hub companies have adopted a social value approach to their projects that includes economic impact and sustainability in the communities they serve. Peter Reekie, chief executive of the Scottish Futures Trust that manages the hub Programme, explained: “Since their inception, the five hub companies have worked with local authorities to deliver learning places which provide great environments for young people to thrive. “All of those involved from the client teams and the hub companies themselves through their design and construction supply chains to the smallest SMEs should be proud of the outcomes they have delivered for the industry and local economies as projects have been successfully delivered, and for communities across Scotland through the buildings they have created.” Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training will give the keynote address at the conference. The theme of the event is “Scotland’s Learning Estate – Connecting People, Places and Learning”, which aims to support more collaboration around the planning and implementation of new integrated learning environments to improve education and the life chances of children and young people. Scotland’s five regional hub companies are: hub North Scotland hub East Central Scotland hub South East Scotland hub West Scotland hub South West Scotland
R G Carter has completed the £11.4 million Digi-Tech Factory at Norwich City College which brings together the college’s digital skills provision into a single, purpose-built space, allowing the college to significantly increase the number of students and apprentices studying digital courses. City College Norwich, New Anglia LEP, and Norwich City Council (through the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Towns’ Fund) have collectively invested £11.4m in the Digi-Tech Factory as a direct response to a key skills priority for Norfolk and Suffolk. Growth in the UK’s digi-tech sector has significantly outstripped that of the wider economy and that trend is set to continue. New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership wants to see more of the £100bn worth of economic output nationally being generated in the region – with its Strategic Economic Plan forecasting a need to fill 10,000 vacancies in the digi-tech sector by 2024. The importance of digital skills extends far beyond the digi-tech sector itself, with digital skills increasingly being required throughout the rest of the economy too. Designed by Coffey Architects and in collaboration with Pro:works, R G Carter has constructed the four storey building which is now equipped with £750,000 worth of the latest computer technology. Mario Rackham, Director and General Manager, R G Carter, said: “This cutting-edge building symbolises magnificently the forward-thinking and progressive digital study and discovery that will take place within it and we are thrilled to play a part in enhancing and developing the digital skills of people in Norwich and Norfolk.” Over 60 miles of cable have been installed throughout the building and 220 tonnes of steel were used to construct the factory. It is connected by two walkways to the award-winning Creative Arts Building, encouraging the natural cross-over and collaboration between the college’s University of the Arts London creative arts courses – including art and design, media production, graphic design, music, and photography – and digital skills training. Corrienne Peasgood OBE, Principal, City College Norwich, commented: “The Digi-Tech Factory will play a key role in enabling us to deliver innovative, industry-standard learning, and a digital skills curriculum developed with substantial input from employers. “It’s been brilliant seeing how the new building has been received by our lecturing staff, students, and apprentices, during the first weeks of term, and the difference this is already making to the teaching and learning of a wide range of digital skills. Jon Bonham, Director of Estates and Facilities at City College Norwich added: ‘We are delighted with how the build has gone and with the finished result, which has delivered on the crucial technical specifications as well as creating a stunning, state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment for the college’ Seven former City College Norwich students currently employed by R G Carter worked on the construction of the Digi-Tech Factory, including Assistant Project Manager, Ed Carr and Director and General Manager, Mario Rackham. In addition, four current construction students gained a combined 1,184 hours of work experience with R G Carter on site and the company donated 4,400 bricks to bricklaying students at the college.
Construction works have started on a new primary school in Fradley Park in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson is leading construction of the school, which will offer 210 primary and 26 nursery places to the local area when complete. “We’re very pleased to be working with framework partner Staffordshire County Council for the construction of this brand-new primary school in Lichfield. We have worked with the Council on a number of construction projects in the past, and are also underway with another school in Uttoxeter,” said Chris Flint, managing director at G F Tomlinson. “It is great to be meeting the demand for more school places in the area. With many new homes coming to the region currently, and more planned for the future, we are delighted to be delivering high-quality, well designed education facilities that are going to serve the local communities here well, with scope for expansion to meet growing needs in the years to come.” The £4.8 million scheme is being delivered through the Staffordshire County Council Framework and is being project managed by Entrust – once finished, the school will be run by the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust. The new, two storey 1FE primary free school will house nine classrooms, a library, catering spaces, indoor sports facilities and an outdoor play area. There will also be a MUGA (multi-use games area) pitch on site to enable a number of sports activities for pupils. The school, which will be completed in July next year in time for the start of term in September 2022, is also proposed to expand to 2FE in the future – taking its capacity up to 420 primary and 52 nursery places in total – to accommodate for further planned housing schemes in the local area. This is one of two school projects that G F Tomlinson has recently started works on – with another primary school in Uttoxeter also underway under the Staffordshire County Council Framework. “It has been great to see work start on site. This new school in Fradley will ensure there are enough school places to cope with current and proposed new housing developments. By designing it in such a way that it can be expanded in future years, it means we are planning ahead and ensuring there is enough capacity to meet any further demand. It will be exciting to see how this new school takes shape over the coming months,” concluded Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education.