Oak GrangePrimary School
Derby’s suburbs are growing at an exponential rate. The area between Alvaston and Chellaston on the southern outskirts of the city centre is subject to a major transformation in terms of land use and regeneration, which is supported by Derby City Local Plan and Boulton Moor Strategic Urban Extension Development Framework.
With a prominent new development of 990 homes on the edge of a country park, Derby City Council needed vital infrastructure to service and enhance the new and expanding community. As part of the development, a new school - which can also serve the local community outside of school hours - was needed to boost the local amenities and increase the desirability of the area for young families.
Working closely with Morgan Sindall Construction, Oak Grange becomes the fourth school we’ve collaboratively delivered for Derby City Council within the last four years.
Completed in August 2023 ready for the new September school intake, Oak Grange Primary School delivers 315 primary school places and a 39-place nursery to the new and growing community of Snelsmoor Grange and Fellow Lands Way.
Sector
Education
Services
Architecture
Status
Completed August
Client
Derby City Council
Location
Boulton Moor, Derby
Project value
£9m
Contractor
Morgan Sindall Construction
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REQUIREMENTS
To support the wider growth of the area, the £9m project was part-funded through Section 106 contributions from housing developer Belway Homes, with Derby City Council matching the funding and approving the construction of a modern and spacious 1.5 Form Entry (FE) school.
It was important that the new school formed the heart of the new housing estates, with the local community and social groups able to use the facilities at evenings, weekends and during school holidays.
Sustainability has been placed at the heart of the design, supporting Derby City Council with their net zero carbon aspirations. Taking a fabric first approach, all materials were selected for their recyclable credentials, and onsite carbon reduction initiatives took place during construction to further meet these aims.
SOLUTIONS
Taking precedent from the local 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’. These are each connected by glazed links, providing bright and airy corridors and connecting the school to the natural world. The rural appearance is also reflected by the use of metal cladding, timber and render external cladding, with deep window reveals and feature windows.
The rural location and sitting on the edge of a country park, creates the opportunity for the design to establish a strong connection to the surrounding natural environment. Building upon our knowledge of forest schools, their ethos and approach to education, the external landscaping around the site will soon create zones of water habitats, orchards, allotments, and meadows. The building positioning and massing has been aligned to create light relief from the elements, allowing for safe and sheltered spaces to learn within the landscape, prioritising outdoor learning wherever possible.
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
The building is a single-storey school with both pitched and flat roofs, carefully designed to provide excellent internal learning environments while minimising interruption to the rural landscape that surrounds the site. A steel frame provides robustness and adaptability if the school requires future expansion.
The site is in a flooding zone so we have optimised the positioning of the building to limit any flooding liability. This has in turn informed the external play areas of the site, providing clear play zones for the early years, reception and junior pupils, in addition using the building itself as part of the safeguarding and secure lines strategy. Special consideration has been given to allow access between the site entrance and nursery throughout the day, without compromising the whole-school’s secure line. This allows for morning and afternoon sessions to be safely run within the nursery provision.
OUTCOMES
Traditionally built, the new school has twelve spacious classrooms, a nursery, and a large kitchen hall, based on an efficient ‘L-shaped’ footprint. Encompassing a countryside feel, whilst also referencing its agricultural past, the external timber-look rock panel on the main façade creates a welcoming feel on approach whilst reinforcing the scale of the school.
Large windows and glazed link corridors help to emulate the seamless transition from inside to out, with every classroom having direct access to the outside.
Near to the school building lies a notable ancient oak tree. Internally, the design has taken inspiration from this and the surrounding countryside, to inform the internal colour palette. Soft, neutral colours throughout create calm learning environments, with the twelve classrooms having feature walls that imitate the oak tree as it transitions throughout the seasons – greens, yellows, and reds – reflecting the child’s growth and progression through the school.
The canopy of the nursery is fully integrated into the design and form of the building, with a separate closed off playground. For community accessibility outside of school hours and for overall security, the hall, administration areas and the nursery have been positioned to the front of the building, with the main classrooms separated through a glazed link beyond.
Supporting Derby City Council’s sustainability strategy, the building is self-sufficient, fully electric and highly insulated. Whilst the classrooms are naturally ventilated, air sourced heat pumps provide heating during the winter months, which can then be reversed in the summer months to provide cooling, and wind catchers placed on the roof will work to draw warm air out. LED lighting is used throughout with automatic lighting controls and daylight dimming to maximise the use of natural light where possible.
Handed over in August 2023, in time for the new academic year, Oak Grange Primary School will become an intrinsic part of the new Snelsmoor Grange area. The school will build pupil numbers incrementally, increasing by one year group each year until it reaches its capacity of 315 pupils, aged from 4 to 11 years, in September 2029.
How we made a difference
DESIGNING AND DELIVERING DERBY'S SCHOOLS
This project is featured in our collaborative report with SCAPE, 'Designing and Delivering Derby's Schools. The 5 year story of 6 schools delivered for Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council which has created more than 2,000 school places and generated in excess of £8m in social value.
