Aylesbury’s new primary school celebrates construction milestone
A topping out ceremony has been held at the Orchard View Primary Academy in Aylesbury to mark a key moment in the creation of a new primary school for the Kingsbrook development.
Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business is currently building the school, following its appointment by Buckinghamshire Council. When completed in summer 2026, the school will be run by the Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust.
To celebrate the completion of the development’s timber frame, several of the school’s future pupils and teachers joined representatives from Buckinghamshire Council as well as members of the Morgan Sindall and Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust’s teams, at a special event.
The project, which was procured via the Southern Construction Framework, will create a two form-entry, 420-place primary school as well as a 60-place nursey, 12-place SEND provision, and multipurpose outdoor spaces. The school’s design will enable it to be expanded in the future for a capacity of 630 pupils.
A two-storey main building will feature classrooms for each year alongside the main hall, catering areas, staff and office areas, a Learning Resource Centre, activity studio, and a space to teach practical food tech, science, and design & technology lessons. The site’s main building will include a dedicated SEND provision for children with social, emotional and mental health needs, consisting of two classrooms, sensory rooms, a therapy room, and life skills spaces.
An adjoining one-storey building will house a nursery with two playrooms as well as WCs, kitchenette, and storage facilities. Externally, a Sports England standard pitch, multi-use games area (MUGA), hard court, and dedicated playgrounds will be created.
The building’s structure will include offsite manufactured timber frame walls, supporting a first-floor structure of pre-cast hollow core concrete planks and an insulated timber roof cassettes system. The main building will also include a pre-cast lift shaft and staircases.
Morgan Sindall utilised its Intelligent Solutions approach to ensure the school’s design, construction, and operation are as sustainable as possible. This aligns with Buckinghamshire Council’s environmental strategy and commitment that the new school will be the county’s first Net Zero in Operation school.
The digital carbon assessment and reduction tool CarboniCa has been utilised to inform the school’s creation, which has seen the design team adopt a fabric-first approach to make the site as efficient as possible. The school’s external envelope has been designed with a highly efficient U-Value to ensure optimal thermal comfort and with an airtightness performance that will minimise energy losses. The window glazing has been designed to balance heating and thermal comfort from natural sunlight while avoiding excessive heat levels.
A large photovoltaic panel array will be installed on the roof along with green roofs that provide vegetation for insulation, cooling, and direct carbon absorption, reducing the energy needed for heating and cooling, while also managing stormwater and boosting biodiversity.
Heating as well as hot water in the kitchens will be provided by air source heat pumps and ventilation will predominantly be achieved through natural means, such as opening windows and ventilation stacks to circulate fresh air. Passive ventilation will be supported by local NVHR (Natural Ventilation with Heat Recovery) units, positioned in teaching spaces to enhance airflow and maintain indoor air quality while optimising energy efficiency.
Morgan Sindall is working closely with the local community to minimise any inconvenience to nearby residents and to maximise social value opportunities. This includes carefully considering traffic management and collaborating with Buckinghamshire College Group to provide training and upskilling experiences as well as utilising local suppliers.
Emma Curtis, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Northern Home Counties, said:
We were delighted to celebrate this milestone moment in the Orchard View Academy’s construction with Buckinghamshire Council and the Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust as well as with the teachers and pupils who will make this school their home. This project revolves around creating an inspiring, supportive, and sustainable learning environment that’s tailored to the local community, making it something the whole team is incredibly proud of.”
Carl Jackson, Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services, said:
Orchard View Primary Academy will be the third new educational establishment on the thriving Kingsbrook development, providing school places for local families now and into the future. Pupils will benefit from superb facilities in a modern and welcoming environment which also makes brilliant use of new technology to be very energy efficient.”
Jon Mason, Chief Executive Officer of the Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust, said:
Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust is incredibly proud and excited to be working in partnership with both Buckinghamshire Council and Morgan Sindall in designing, constructing and equipping a brand new, state of art primary academy to serve the expanding Kingsbrook population. This impressive building will provide an aspirational learning environment where children will flourish socially and academically for generations to come.”
Morgan Sindall constructed the two other schools on the Kingsbrook housing development, Kingsbrook View Primary Academy which opened in September 2021 and The Kingsbrook School which opened in September 2022.
ENDS