Bristol construction firm Beard marked the start of works on the new Charlton Wood Primary Academy with an official ground-breaking ceremony carried out by new headteacher Neil Lankester.
Beard is working with Endeavour Academy Trust and South Gloucestershire Council on the delivery of the £5.6 million state-of-the-art academy which is being built on the North Field section of the old Filton Airfield in Charlton Hayes, Patchway.
The purpose-built academy will provide eight junior, four infant and two reception classrooms at the school – each equipped with its own cloakroom and storeroom. Future students will benefit from four breakout spaces which will support modern learning, plus a library, kitchen, offices, staff room and a large hall, complete with a stage.
Designed by South Gloucestershire Council and BBA Architects, the new school will also offer some exciting outdoor play facilities including an outdoor timber classroom with a grass mound amphitheatre, and a tepee village outdoor learning area. Beard will also build a 685sqm paved multi-use court for netball, tennis and other games, and a 4,030sqm grass ball-sports pitch.
“We are really pleased to be starting construction on this fantastic new school for the Charlton Hayes community,” says Sean Franks, Beard contracts manager. “There are some really interesting outside features to this scheme which will be fun for our team to build, and even more fun for future students to use. We are delighted to be working with South Gloucestershire Council on this scheme and look forward to seeing it through to completion next summer.”
Charlton Wood Primary Academy, which is set to open in September next year, will initially provide places for 60 students in Reception and Year 1. Sixty additional places will be created each year until pupil intake reaches a maximum capacity of 420 in 2025. The school will be run by Endeavour Academy Trust.
Headteacher Neil Lankester said: “Over the last year we have been working really closely with residents to ensure that the school is at the heart of the community. We are really excited to be opening next year and look forward to welcoming our first cohort.”
Leader of South Gloucestershire Council with Cabinet responsibility for schools, Cllr Toby Savage, said: “It was a pleasure to attend the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Charlton Wood Primary Academy, which looks set to offer state-of-the-art facilities for local students.”
“The contract to build the academy was awarded to construction company Beard as a result of the social value aspect of their tender, and this is one of the first contracts we have awarded this way. Beard has committed to using local contractors, procuring materials locally, minimising waste going to landfill and raising money for local charities.”
Charlton Wood Primary Academy comes as part of Charlton Hayes, a brand-new 2,200-home extension to Patchway. The mixed-use development is named after the village of Charlton which was demolished in the 1940s to make way for a runway extension at Filton.
Photo (left to right:) Barbara Daykin (CEO, Endeavour Academy Trust) Neil Lankester (headteacher, Charlton Wood Primary Academy), Cllr Toby Savage (leader, SGC) and Richard Priest (project manager, Beard).
Source: Press release issued on behalf of Beard.
