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Oak Grange Primary School completes
Works have been completed on Oak Grange Primary School, a new school which will deliver school places for young residents of the Snelsmoor Grange housing developments, The Meadows and Holbrook Grange, and a recent development of around 200 properties on Fellow Lands Way, Chellaston.
On Wednesday 6th September, 25 students across Nursery and Reception were welcomed for their first classes with East Midlands Education Trust, a partnership of 22 schools in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. The school will increase in size organically each academic year by another year group until it reaches its capacity of 315 pupils, aged from 3 to 11 years, in September 2029.
Celebrating the milestone, our team joined the school, it's new pupils and teachers, East Midlands Education Trust, Derby City Council, and Morgan Sindall Construction to have a tour of the new building, which will also become a hub for the new local community outside of school hours.
Procured via the SCAPE Regional Construction Framework, Morgan Sindall Construction started work on the Oak Grange Primary School project in August 2022, and has completed within 53-weeks.
Designed by our team at Lungfish Architects, the school is in keeping with the history of the site and its agricultural surroundings. The desired aesthetics and functionality was achieved with the inclusion of three distinctive ‘gabled barn’ elevations, connected by glazed links, that provide natural daylight to the corridors and core of the school. The rural vernacular is also reflected by utilising metal cladding, timber and render external cladding, with deep window reveals and feature windows.
Extensive ecological surveys were carried out to ensure minimal disturbance to the natural habitats surrounding the site, including surveys of any nesting birds in the area, of badger sets close to the site, and of hedgerows which are home to birds and small mammals.
The completion of Oak Grange marks the fifth school delivered in partnership with Morgan Sindall, where Lungfish Architects are the principal designer as part of the Derby Schools Programme.
It has been a privilege to be involved in the development of our brand new school. Having the opportunity to discuss the design with both architects and designers at Lungfish will make a fundamental impact on children for many years to come. We have embraced the design and "feel" of the school and embodied it into our school ethos. A very natural and calming environment, a respect of the natural world and a feeling of peace."
Sarah Coleman, Headteacher of Oak Grange Primary School
Taking precedent from the history of the site, the design of the school is defined though the building’s elevations; massing and roof lines identifying three key gabled ‘barns’.
The rural appearance is also reflected by the use of metal cladding, timber and render external cladding, with deep window reveals and feature windows.
This project was delivered not only with pupils in mind, but the whole community, and we hope to see the building busy not just during the school week but on evenings and weekends too with residents of the local area. We hope they all enjoy bringing this community hub to life through social groups and community events.”
Richard Fielding, Area Director of Morgan Sindall Construction
Social value delivery
As part of Morgan Sindall’s commitment to reducing their carbon impact through their work, the team mobilised its 10 Tonne Carbon Challenge at Oak Grange Primary School. As a result, they saved 69.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide through alternative construction methods; the equivalent of heating 26 homes annually.
Within the local area, the project achieved a spend of 39% within 20 miles, while offsite the team volunteered a total of 124 hours with various charities including Doorways Derby foodbank.
Morgan Sindall also rose to the challenge of navigating a significant increase in costs of materials and labour from when the project was initially planned back in 2020. The project was delivered according to the original budget while still keeping to the high standard of work and materials for which the tier one contractor is known.
The Derby Schools Programme is a great example of what collaboration and true partnership can achieve. It brings together Lungfish Architects’ award-winning design expertise, SCAPE frameworks’ speed and value for money and Morgan Sindall’s delivery excellence with the help of a strong, local supply chain. Oak Grange is a fantastic new primary school providing much needed space for the growing communities of Derby.”
Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive of SCAPE
We are now approaching 1,700 school places delivered for Derby City Council within the last four years. Lungfish Architects is thrilled to be working closely again with the council and Morgan Sindall to provide vital school places for a growing local community.
Sitting unobtrusively within the landscape, Oak Grange is an example of a rural school with links back to an agricultural past. The wealth of natural light, materials and colour palette creates an inspiring learning environment that is well connected to the world outside."
Nathan Webb, Project Architects of Lungfish Architects
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