Main works commence on £8.5m Derbyshire primary school rebuild
Earlier this month, a ceremony was held at Bramley Vale Primary School to officially mark the start of main works following the demolition of the old school building.
Originally built in the 1930s, parts of Bramley Vale Primary School were no longer fit for purpose and required replacement, with ongoing repairs deeming a less cost-effective solution compared to the cost of a complete rebuild.
In what is the largest project of its kind Derbyshire County Council has been involved in, Morgan Sindall Construction was appointed to deliver the works via the SCAPE Construction framework, a direct award framework designed to drive collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings on construction projects. It also appointed design and build consultancy, Concertus, to project manage the works.
Once complete, the new school will accommodate up to 175 pupils aged up to 11 with the addition of five full-size classrooms. With sustainability in mind, the school will be fitted with eco-friendly heating, lighting and ventilation, with a heat recovery system for optimised efficiency.
Other amenities include a multi-use general teaching room, a new library, staff and office space, a catering kitchen facility and new, wall-mounted PE equipment.
Additionally, Morgan Sindall will undertake extensive landscaping works on the school grounds to widen their use and for the delivery of Forest School lessons. The school field will also be reinstated to Sports England standards.
Through utilising Morgan Sindall’s Intelligent Solutions approach, a Temporary Learning Village was installed on the lower school field site to limit disruption and ensure the school remained fully operational while the demolition and main works took place. It will now remain in place until the school hands over and the children move into their new classrooms.
Present at the ceremony was DCC’s Cabinet Member for Education Councillor Alex Dale, school Headteacher Rob Rumsby, and Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher. Members of the council’s school development team were also in attendance, along with representatives from Morgan Sindall Construction and Concertus.
The newly rebuilt Bramley Vale Primary School will be situated opposite a new £1.2m purpose-built foundation block for its younger pupils which opened in 2015 featuring two classrooms and an outside play area for nursery and reception classes as well as toilets, an office and lobby area.
Councillor Alex Dale said:
This is one of the biggest primary school building projects we have ever been involved in and we’re very pleased to be working in partnership on this exciting multi-million-pound project making the best use of our resources to provide a high-quality modern school for local children and for use by the wider community.
Bramley Vale Primary School is at the very heart of its small community and this scheme will provide buildings that meet modern standards and enhance the education of its pupils for generations to come.
I would very much like to thank and praise Headteacher Rob Rumsby, his staff and all the parents and pupils for the way they are carrying on as usual with school life and learning as positively as possible while extensive building work is going on around them. I’m confident they will be delighted with the end result which will be a huge asset to them and Bramley Vale and as a valued community base for the surrounding communities.”
Headteacher Rob Rumsby said:
The whole school community, in the widest sense, is looking forward to seeing the completion of the partial school rebuild. Bramley Vale Primary School had been ear-marked for needing a total or partial rebuild many years ago.
I was pleased when joining the school in January 2021 that the governing body and I were given the opportunity by Derbyshire County Council and Concertus to review and discuss the designs. It has been vitally important to all the school stakeholders that we get the best possible outcome for residents of Bramley Vale, Doe Lea, Glapwell and the wider community we serve, and we are fully committed to ensuring we have the best possible outcome.”
Midlands Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction, Richard Fielding said:
As a live, operational learning environment the key consideration throughout the Bramley Vale Primary School project has been to provide an outstanding new facility whilst keeping disruption to a minimum.
Through the provision of a Temporary Learning Village students will be able to continue their learning journey while we push on to complete their new school.
From the conversations we’ve had with the school, we understand the importance of the rebuild and the excitement at its delivery. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Derbyshire County Council, Concertus, the school and the wider community in what will be a fantastic facility once completed.”
Mark Robinson, SCAPE Group Chief Executive said:
Morgan Sindall has a strong track record of delivering high quality, modern schools and this will be a fantastic addition to the council’s education portfolio, demonstrating how cost, quality and carbon can be balanced and complementary in the provision of sustainable school buildings. Delivering through SCAPE ensures that the highest level of social value will be created, maximising every pound spent and leaving positive within the local community.”
Operations Director at Concertus Design and Property Consultants Tom Marshall said:
The development of a new learning facility here for students is exciting and will see the creation of a modern and innovative learning environment for children in the area. The new facility will provide a range of benefits for students and the community alike, and it's sure to make a positive impact for many years to come.
We're thrilled to be a part of this exciting project, and we look forward to working collaboratively with Morgan Sindall and Derbyshire County Council to deliver this project for Bramley Vale and the surrounding area.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Lewis Hinds on [email protected]