Morgan Sindall delivers final phase of Newark primary school extension
A £9.4 million extension at Chuter Ede Primary School's Fernwood site in Newark has been completed by Morgan Sindall Construction – doubling the school’s capacity.
Councillors, partners, pupils and teachers gathered to celebrate the facility’s official opening.
The project has seen the creation of a single-storey building which will accommodate an additional 210 primary school places. With a growing demand for education provision in the Newark area, Chuter Ede’s ability to significantly increase pupil numbers will support the region’s educational targets.
The new facility was designed, project, and cost-managed by Arc Partnership - a joint venture between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE – with Morgan Sindall’s Midlands business appointed to deliver the extension.
Thanks to this project, pupils at Chuter Ede Primary School will be able to enjoy eight new classrooms, a library, a food and science (DT) room, spaces for SEN therapy,
a medical room, and a group room.
The project has also created a new playing field with two sports pitches, a running track, rounders pitch, sunshade canopies and new outdoor equipment.
Generating meaningful social value for the local community has been a central aspect of the development. This included a collaboration between Morgan Sindall, Arc Partnership, and Nottingham Trent University, enabling students to enhance their skills in architecture, technology, project management, and quantity surveying with site visits and project-focused lectures.
In addition, the Morgan Sindall team invested over 50 hours on school engagement activities and provided 10 weeks of meaningful work placements. More than 200 students visited the site as part of an initiative to give students from a range of disciplines real-world construction experience.
The tier one contractor raised £5,508 in charitable donations for the local community, including £3,000 worth of books donated to Chuter Ede Primary School. Team members also volunteered for a total of 88 hours of charitable time, including at Newark Food Bank. In total, the project generated £2.7m in social value, equating to a 36% return on social investment.
Chuter Ede Fernwood, an annex of Chuter Ede Primary School at Balderton, was originally built in 2012 to serve the growing number of children living in the new Fernwood estate.
Richard Fielding, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Midlands, said:
Completing Chuter Ede Primary School's extension is a fantastic moment, especially as we’ve been working with the school over a long-term, multiphase project to grow and develop its facilities. This means we know what an essential role it plays in the community and that this new building will provide a high-end educational environment for pupils and staff to enjoy for many years to come.
Our close, collaborative relationship with Nottinghamshire County Council, Arc Partnership, and the school has been central to creating a space tailored to the local area’s needs. What’s more, it’s enabled us to be innovative in utilising this project to generate impactful social value benefits for Newark’s residents.”
Councillor James Walker-Gurley, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management, said:
We are delighted that this extension is now complete. Investing in our future generations is essential as young people deserve to learn in well-equipped and modern buildings to help their education.
It’s fantastic that this project has doubled the amount of school places to help address growing demand in the area, so it’s a real boost for this community."
Mrs Bernadette Hunter, Headteacher of Chuter Ede Primary School, said:
This extension represents far more than additional classrooms; it is an investment in our children and their future. Having eight new, high-quality learning spaces will allow us to provide the best possible environment for teaching and learning, supporting both our current pupils and those who will join us in the years ahead.
It is wonderful to see our growing school benefit from facilities that match the ambition, talent and potential of our children. We are proud of what this development means for our community and excited about the opportunities it will bring for generations of pupils to come.
Daniel Maher, Managing Director at Arc Partnership, said:
We are proud to have supported Nottinghamshire County Council in the expansion of Chuter Ede Primary School. Arc Partnership has designed, project and cost managed, alongside our construction partner Morgan Sindall, a high-quality learning environment. Now complete the school expansion will support and provide benefits to local students and families for years to come.”
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