Morgan Sindall Construction begins work on new multi-million-pound school in East Leake
Morgan Sindall Construction has begun works on Millside Spencer Academy, a multi-million-pound school located in East Leake, Nottinghamshire.
The contractor was appointed by Arc Partnership on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, following the successful joint delivery of Bingham Primary School in August 2022 and Rosecliffe Spencer Academy in May 2021.
Designed and project managed by Arc Partnership, a joint venture between SCAPE and the council, Morgan Sindall Construction will now ensure the school is completed in time for pupils starting the new September term in 2023. In the meantime, the council has worked with Morgan Sindall to install a Temporary Learning Village – recently used at Ravensdale Infant and Nursery in Derby after the school suffered an arson attack – to provide efficient facilities for up to 50 local children.
The new school, which will be run by Spencer Academies Trust, is being built on former farming land on Rempstone Road in East Leake, as part of a £14 million investment in education in the village, led by Nottinghamshire County Council and its partners. Situated in the heart of a new David Wilson Homes housing development called The Skylarks, the school will eventually have capacity for 315 primary and 26 nursery places.
Representatives from key partners joined a group of pupils from Millside Spencer Academy and Councillor Tracey Taylor, Cabinet for Children and Young People, at a special ceremony to mark the start of work at the new development.
Cllr Taylor said: “It was fantastic to visit the site and meet the children, school staff and our partners for this significant milestone as part of the delivery of Millside Spencer Academy in East Leake. It really is an exciting project, and I am delighted work has finally started on building the new school, which will provide the best learning environment for the pupils.
“The Council’s major investment in delivering the new Spencer Academies Trust-sponsored East Leake primary school reinforces our commitment to ensuring all Nottinghamshire children have access to the best education and have an opportunity to succeed. I am delighted to be working with our partners to deliver this fantastic project and Millside Spencer Academy will be a great addition to the county’s family of schools – as well as a huge benefit to a village where many new families have moved to.”
Sara Williams, Head of Pre-Construction at Arc Partnership said: “We are proud to be working in collaboration with Nottinghamshire County Council to design and manage the delivery of Millside Spencer Academy. From the start, we have been dedicated to providing an exceptional learning environment which can inspire and support more than 300 pupils. The school has been designed to be Net Carbon Zero in operation, incorporating sustainable elements to benefit both staff and pupils. This includes EV charging points and making the building 100 per cent electric through renewable energy sources.”
Sophia Thorne, Principal of Millside Spencer Academy, says everyone at the school is looking forward to the new building opening next year.
She said: “Everyone in the Millside Spencer community is immensely excited about the completion of our permanent school in 2023. We are currently very much enjoying our Temporary Learning Village and the Forest School area with great views of the school being constructed. However, our new building will allow us to offer even more incredible opportunities, such as subject-specific learning areas, a whole school library, multiple outdoor play areas, and additional after-school clubs. We cannot wait!”
Richard Fielding, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction in the Midlands, said: "We believe that the spaces in which children learn have a huge impact on their future - our aim is to create modern learning environments pupils can be proud of and that will enable them to develop and grow. Millside Spencer Academy is a fantastic example of that, and we can't wait to work with our partners to deliver the project."