Morgan Sindall launches £29m Appleby Grammar School project with ground breaking ceremony
Morgan Sindall Construction’s North East and Cumbria business has held a ground breaking ceremony at Appleby Grammar School in Westmorland, Cumbria. The event marks the start of a £29m project at the comprehensive secondary school and sixth form.
Appointed by the Department for Education (DfE), Morgan Sindall will undertake a package of works that includes the building of a new superblock, renovation works on the Grade II-listed main building, first mentioned in local records in 1452, and demolition of outdated bolt-on buildings.
On Monday, 20 October, students and teachers from Appleby Grammar School, including Headteacher, Paul Nicholson, were joined by representatives from Morgan Sindall, the DfE, and their project management partner Mott MacDonald, in taking commemorative ‘spade-in-the-ground' photos.
The new superblock will serve to house classroom space, laboratories, kitchens, offices, technology hubs, and a multi-purpose main hall. Additionally, Morgan Sindall will be providing a new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) to add to the existing sports fields. There will also be improvements to the school's main reception area, parking amenities, and pick-up/drop-off areas.
Morgan Sindall remains committed to providing sustainable elements throughout its projects, and the new block will be fitted with Photovoltaic (PV) panels, and Air Source Heat Pumps. The Morgan Sindall team will also utilise in-house carbon tracking software, CarboniCa, to log and reduce carbon emissions for the duration of the project.
As Appleby-in-Westmorland falls under flood risk from the River Eden, extensive planning has been undertaken to mitigate any potential drainage and ecological impacts caused by construction.
Due to the nature of working on a live site, Morgan Sindall have compiled a robust site safety and security plan, with a neighbouring farm kindly granting Morgan Sindall access to a nearby slip-road to reduce traffic and safety risks in the area.
The team has also pledged to provide 10 T-Level students and 10 apprentices with vital experience throughout the programme, as a part of Morgan Sindall’s social value charter. Project Manager, Brad Langstone has also completed a walk from Brough to Appleby in aid of local charity Slow Ways, underlining the team’s ongoing commitment to supporting the school and local initiatives for the duration of the project.
Alex Isted, Area Director for Morgan Sindall in the North East and Cumbria, said:
Appleby Grammar School is situated on a historic site, with roots reaching back to the 15th century, so it is an immense pleasure to preserve some of its rich history through the Grade II listed main building, which is to undergo sensitive restoration as part of our works. We are also delighted to provide the local area with a new state-of-the-art, futureproof block to serve the school for generations to come.
We’re proud to be once again working with the Department for Education on a project that will improve learning for the local community, and I look forward to seeing the progress at this brilliant school over the coming months.”
Phil Nicholson, Head Teacher at Appleby Grammar School, said:
We are all delighted that the building work has started after a great deal of hard work from staff, governors and a host of other organisations. It is exciting to see the work begin in earnest. The new build will be transformational for all the students here and provide a fantastic place for this generation of young people from Appleby and the surrounds to be educated in. We are looking forward to seeing how the project develops in the next few months.”
A spokesperson from the Department for Education, said:
Every child deserves a safe, high-quality classroom where they can focus on learning. After years of neglect, too many children are being taught in school buildings that are in poor condition, and that simply isn't good enough.
We are thrilled that work has begun at Appleby Grammar School to create a new school that students can not only feel proud of, but that meets the needs of all its students now and in the future.
Through our Plan for Change we are investing in the future, with almost £20 billion for the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034-35 - rebuilding over 500 schools across England with 250 additional schools to be selected in the next two years.”
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