Why is the school being redeveloped?

The existing school is at the end of its expected lifespan and is in varying states of disrepair. Remedial action is required to roof coverings, external drainage, internal floor and staircase, internal walls and doors, sanitaryware, mechanical and electrical services, external envelope, external – windows, doors and external joinery.

The new school proposes will be designed to Net Zero Carbon in Operation using Modern Methods of Construction techniques with sustainability interventions including Low and Zero Carbon Technologies such as:

• Air Source Heat Pumps.

• Solar Panels.

The school will be designed to consider SEND pupils. Children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have difficulty with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviours or interests. They may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.

The new school will provide SEND pupils additional spaces where pupils (if needed) are able to have time out from class in a calmer space. These spaces would be ideally located next to or near a cluster of classrooms so that Teaching Assistants or one to one support do not have to move the children far from the classroom.

Break out rooms from classrooms also allow for physiotherapy sessions to happen close to, but not in the classroom. To reduce time away from teaching but also privacy for the individual students involved.

The school requires a lift to any upstairs area to ensure the school is inclusive. The new school will include a lift.

The school wants to improve the layout for visually impaired children to ensure that there are clear access routes to all areas in school including outside. The new school layout will be more accessible for visually impaired children.

The school wants to improve the layout and assistive technology for children who may have hearing or auditory difficulties, the room must allow for the teacher to be heard clearly. The new classroom layout and acoustics will allow for children with hearing or auditory impairments.

The school library space needs books that are accessible to the children including wheelchair users. The new school layout will make accessibility easier for wheelchair users. The school also wants to improve accessibility for sight impaired students by having a section for books in braille.

The proposed school will have enhanced capacity for improved technology and power provision from sustainable sources. This will benefit classrooms but also provide enhanced security systems and improvements for the central administration team.

There is an opportunity to remove sealed surfaces of concrete and asphalt and replace them with larger permeable areas and playing fields. Natural outdoor play areas and nature spaces supporting the existing tree lined borders as far as possible. No ponds are to be introduced as part of the proposals.

The current car parking is shared with the library. The disabled space is for library use only. The proposed new layout will provide parking to keep any staff or visitor parking off the residential streets. Additional on-site car parking is proposed including disabled spaces. The library will not lose its disabled parking space.

The proposed school allows for administration and kitchens to be moved away from teaching spaces. This allows teachers and teaching assistants to focus on the children’s learning and not be inadvertently pulled away to deal with administrative matters.

The new layout allows development of independence as younger children move through the school. Younger children will be located on the ground floor. Older children move from the ground floor to the first floor spaces to support their growing independence.

New nurture rooms for any child that has social or emotional needs such as playing games, baking, Lego therapy, a mix of comfortable seating and carpet space.

Specialist space for primary food preparation, science, art & design and technology activities. The improved kitchen location to be next to the hall and separate deliveries without disrupting the students or teachers.

Refuse collection to be improved to keep this separate from main teaching spaces.

School Leadership Team have space which does not disrupt or is disrupted to enable private meetings to take place whether with parents or external partners.

Improved storage for coats and bags for students but also lockable storage for class materials such as ipads, stationery and maths apparatus.

Toilets and personal care to be improved with more inclusive design and enhanced privacy more appropriate for users e.g disabled toilets. Separation between visitor and staff toilets and student toilets.

Improvements to visibility from the public open space to create privacy for the school so that members of the public cannot approach the school gates during supervised playtime. To avoid this a new fenced outdoor pitch is to be introduced creating a buffer between the internal play area and the public open space boundary of the site. Further safety and security measures will be introduced to ensure enhanced vision and secure lines for teachers and supervising staff. CCTV will cover the front entrance and the public gate on the western boundary recommended from the security risk assessment as there has been previous vandalism there.

Introduction of sprinklers to the school for additional fire protection.

Through the introduction of an improved site and school layout there is the opportunity to allow out of hours use of the school by the community. The reconfiguration would allow classrooms to be fully separated from rooms such as the school hall which may be used by community groups and school clubs outside school hours. Multi Agency meetings may happen and new rooms will allow these to be accommodated at the same time as the hall is in use e.g for music lessons and breakfast clubs.

The proposed school will have enhanced outdoor sports facilities which shall be designed for the following:

• Outside fenced off pitch area.

• Zoned areas for activities with areas for sport, quiet time, learning, nature club area.

• Areas that accommodate the schools growing ASD group in school and their visually and hearing-impaired children.

• New outdoor play equipment.

• Storage areas for play equipment.

• Shielded from the park to provide an enclosed and safe space.