Work gets underway at Aylesbury’s new primary school
Morgan Sindall Construction has started work onsite at Orchard View Academy, following its appointment by Buckinghamshire Council to deliver a new primary school at the Kingsbrook development in Aylesbury.
The project, which was procured via the Southern Construction Framework, will create a two form-entry primary school able to accommodate 420 pupils as well as a 60-place nursey, 12-person SEND provision, and multipurpose outdoor spaces. The school’s design will enable it to be expanded in the future to a capacity of 630 pupils.
Due to complete in summer 2026, the school will be run by the Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust. Its two-storey main building will feature classrooms for each year alongside the main hall, catering areas, staff and office areas, a Learning Resource Centre, activity studio, and a space to teach practical food tech, science, and design & technology lessons. The site’s main building will also include a SEND unit, consisting of two classrooms, two safe rooms, sensory rooms, a therapy room, and life skills spaces.
An adjoining one-storey building will house a nursery with two playrooms as well as WC, kitchenette, and storage facilities. Externally, the project will create a Sports England standard pitch, multi-use games area (MUGA), hard court, and dedicated playgrounds for nursery, SEN, and specific Key Stage pupils.
The building’s structure will include offsite manufactured timber frame walls, supporting a first-floor structure of pre-cast hollow core concrete planks and an insulated timber roof cassettes system. The main building will also include a pre-cast lift shaft and staircases.
Morgan Sindall has leveraged its Intelligent Solutions approach to ensure the school’s design, construction, and operation are as sustainable as possible. This method aligns with Buckinghamshire Council’s environmental strategy and commitment that this new school will be Net Zero in Operation.
The digital whole life carbon assessment and reduction tool CarboniCa has been utilised to inform the school’s creation, which has seen the design team adopt a fabric-first approach to make the site as efficient as possible. The school’s external envelope has been designed with a highly efficient U-Value (a measurement of heat transfer) to ensure optimal thermal comfort and with an airtightness performance that will minimise energy losses. The window glazing has similarly been designed to balance heating and thermal comfort from natural sunlight while avoiding excessive heat levels.
A large photovoltaic (PV) panel array will be installed on the roof and ventilation will predominantly be achieved through natural means where possible, such as opening windows and ventilation stacks to circulate fresh air. Passive ventilation will also be supported by local NVHR (Natural Ventilation with Heat Recovery) units, positioned in teaching spaces to enhance airflow and maintain indoor air quality while optimising energy efficiency.
Morgan Sindall will be working closely with the local community to minimise any inconvenience to people living in the local area and to maximise social value opportunities. This will include carefully considering traffic management to avoid any issues with the nearby residential development and secondary school. Morgan Sindall will also be collaborating with Buckinghamshire College Group to provide training and upskilling experiences as well as utilising local suppliers to support the regional economy.
Emma Curtis, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Northern Home Counties, said:
Schools are at the heart of communities, and with Aylesbury’s new Kingsbrook residential development it is vital that modern educational spaces are created tailored to the area’s needs. Starting work at Orchard View Academy therefore marks an exciting moment, as we know this school will play an important role in providing the teaching spaces this community needs – and will do so in a highly sustainable manner.
We’re looking forward to collaborating with Buckinghamshire Council on the project, and we know from multiple successful school developments completed together that this is an incredibly strong, innovative partnership. To reach this point we’ve collaborated on an in-depth planning process, the result of which will support the council’s net zero and educational goals.”
Carl Jackson, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services, said:
It is great news that work on the new school building is underway and progressing quickly. This is a flagship project for Buckinghamshire Council, one which creates new primary school and nursery places and delivers important extra SEND provision. It will also be the first ‘Net Zero in Operation’ school in Buckinghamshire.”
Orchard View Academy is the third school Morgan Sindall is constructing for the Kingsbrook development, followings its completion of Kingsbrook View Primary Academy and Kingsbrook Secondary School. The tier one contractor has also been enhancing educational facilities for pupils across Buckinghamshire, with projects at The Cottesloe School in Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury’s Green Ridge Primary School.
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