Design & Build

Insight into the School Rebuilding Programme The first projects under the School Rebuilding Programme should start from this autumn, following site inspections and planning work. Education Business looks at the programme’s progress The School Rebuilding Programme, announced in June 2020, will see school buildings in the most need of care to be refurbished or rebuilt. The first wave of the programme is complete, with site inspections and detailed planning work with the 50 schools meaning the first rebuild projects will start from this autumn. Further details about the the second wave of the School Rebuilding Programme will be set out later in 2021. The department also plans to consult this year to gather views on how schools are prioritised for future rounds of the long-term programme, including how evidence about schools’ condition need may be provided to support prioritisation.

to bring the school into the 21st century. A new grassed pitch will be created where the old buildings were located to compensate for the area of playing field lost due to the position of the new teaching building. The existing 109 car parking spaces will all be retained or re-provided on site, together with five new accessible parking bays and two minibus spaces, and dedicated cycle parking. Dr Louise Newman, Principal of Hartshill School said: “Securing this investment is fantastic news for Hartshill School and the local community, and we look forward to hearing to everyone’s views before taking our next steps. “It is our intention that school life will Project proposals continue uninterrupted on the same Hartshill School in Nuneaton has unveiled site during redevelopment and that the proposals on what the new-look school will school will move into its new building look like, following the allocation of when it has been completed.” funding under the programme. Lytham St Annes High School in It will be based in Ansdell has submitted proposals The a single building with Fylde Council to build Departm developed adjacent to a new large two-storey e n t for Edu the existing premises teaching building and a new c plans to ation and will provide sports centre at the site. If a welcoming and accepted, the school would views t gather his year secure environment build the new buildings how sc with open spaces and then demolish the hools a on re and wide corridors existing ones. It would prior

also relocate a car park as well as two sports courts as part of it redevelopment plans. The plan states: “The development of the site layout has been informed by a number of factors; the constraints and setting of the site and the operation of the school. “It also allows the building to be placed at a considerable distance from nearby residents.” There will be no change to staff and pupil numbers, which would stay at 1,650 pupils aged 11-16 and 160 staff. Littleborough Community Primary School in Rochdale is another school to be rebuilt under the programme. Plans are for the existing primary school, dance studio and children’s centre to be demolished. The current infant block will be retained however and the children’s centre will be moved into there. The sports centre will not be affected by the plans. During construction the school will remain fully open, but two temporary classrooms may be needed during building work. Once the 420 place school is complete it will have 14 classrooms, a sports/ assembly hall and a 26 place nursery. E

itised future for rounds

Issue 26.3 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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