£10m LOW CARBON SCHOOL FOR BRISTOL

BAM has been appointed by the South Gloucestershire Council to deliver a £10m low carbon primary school under the Southern Construction Framework (SCF).

Frenchay Church of England Primary School will be replaced with a two-storey, two-form entry building and will accommodate up to 420 primary-age children.

It has been designed to achieve low carbon Passivhaus standards, featuring triple glazing, solar panels, highly insulated thermal fabric and heat recovery units.

Social value is a key priority for BAM

The project team is also joining forces with the Frenchay Residents’ Association to renovate a damaged nearby pond and picnic area. This will include tidying up surrounding overgrowth and the removal of plants to a temporary holding pond as the new one is relined.

Groundworks have already been completed and the school is set to open in September 2022.

‘Environmentally-conscious primary school’

Tim Chell, BAM Construction Western’s regional director, covering South West England and South Wales, commented: “This award cements BAM’s long-standing relationship with South Gloucestershire Council and draws on our wide-ranging experience of delivering progressive, sustainable facilities in the education sector.

“This scheme underlines our forward-thinking approach to delivering ultra-sustainable education projects. We are using digital modelling and 4D planning to deliver a progressive, net zero design solution that will give the pupils and staff of Frenchay Primary School an enhanced and sustainable learning environment now and for generations to come.”

Cabinet Member for Education, Skills & Employment, Cllr Erica Williams, Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources Cllr Ben Burton and local councillors recently visited the site and commented:

“It’s excellent to see the construction of the new school building for Frenchay Primary School well underway. We have been planning this project for some time and I am delighted to see the building take shape.

“Our number one priority is to give every young person in South Gloucestershire the best start in life and this significant investment will provide local children with an improved learning environment in which they can achieve their full potential.”

Passivhaus standards

Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources Cllr Ben Burton said: “It’s great to see our plans for a bigger and more environmentally-conscious primary school in Frenchay come to fruition. The work on site is progressing very quickly, with the developer already making significant ground in a short space of time.

“The new building has been designed to Passivhaus standards, which will not only make the school one of the most energy efficient in South Gloucestershire, but also supports our Climate Emergency goals.

“This is a multimillion-pound investment demonstrating our commitment to deliver important infrastructure for local families in the Frenchay area.”

Katherine Marks, Headteacher at Frenchay CofE Primary School, said: “Every member of our community is very excited about the move to the new school building. It will offer us so much space to extend our curriculum and learning opportunities.

“The children will have the chance to learn about the Passivhaus standard as part of their global topics each year. This will provide not only first-hand experiences but also unique opportunities.”

Source: PBC Today