Main works commence on £8.5m Derbyshire primary school rebuild

In what is the largest project of its kind that 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.

Originally built in the 1930s, parts of Bramley Vale Primary School had come to the end of their life and required replacement, with ongoing repairs no longer providing a cost-effective solution compared to the cost of a complete rebuild.

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.

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.

In keeping with 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.