Morgan Sindall appointed to deliver £17m replacement for Greenway Junior School in Horsham
Morgan Sindall Construction's Southern Home Counties business has been appointed to deliver Greenway Junior School in Horsham, a £17m project procured through the Department for Education's School Rebuilding Programme.
The project involves constructing a new two storey school, alongside external teaching spaces, playground, MUGA pitch and playing field, with the phased demolition of the current school buildings following the decant into the new build. The team will also build a new access road and additional parking facilities for the existing nursery. The existing on-site car parking facilities will be retained, with additional parking created for 11 vehicles, including five accessible bays.
The new two storey school will include 12 classrooms, an assembly hall, sports facilities, a library, food technology room and group rooms, as well as a lobby, reception, WC facilities, staff workspace, and kitchen. The team are also building a self-contained Special Educational Needs (SEN) suite which has direct access to a dedicated external play area to cater for SEN children.
Low carbon in operation is central to the development. Primary heating is provided by air source heat pumps mounted on the roof within an acoustic enclosure. These supply a low-temperature hot water circuit serving radiant panels in the main hall and hybrid ventilation units with heat recovery in the classrooms, keeping thermal comfort high and energy use low.
On-site renewable energy will come from a bio-solar roof system combining photovoltaic panels. A sustainable drainage system featuring swales, permeable paving, and attenuation basins will help reduce load on the local sewer network. The site has been designed to achieve a 4% Biodiversity Net Gain.
The sustainability strategy has been developed to achieve Net Zero Carbon in Operation in line with the DfE Output Specification 2021. The digital carbon calculation tool CarboniCa has been used to incorporate carbon reduction measures during construction and operation. The tool will be used on project completion to audit actual carbon performance during construction.
The construction of Greenway Junior School will deliver significant social value benefits for the local community, creating opportunities for learning, employment, and community engagement. Throughout the project, Morgan Sindall will spend 60 hours in schools showcasing career pathways within the construction industry, while supporting the next generation of talent through the employment of four apprentices and four T Level placements.
The team will also provide 10 work experience placements and dedicate 80 hours to helping local people access employment opportunities. In addition, the tier one contractor will contribute 84 hours of volunteering to support local community initiatives, ensuring the project's positive impact extends well beyond the school itself and leaves a lasting legacy for residents.
ECE architecture has been the lead consultant on the scheme.
Guy Hannell, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said:
Greenway Junior School will give pupils a modern, sustainable learning environment built with their needs, and the local community's, front of mind. From the dedicated SEN facilities to the fossil-fuel-free heating system, every single part of this project has been designed to last well beyond the day the doors open. We're incredibly proud to have been appointed and look forward to getting started on site.”