Morgan Sindall Construction has completed the new Little Reddings Primary School in Bushey for the Department for Education (DfE)
Delivered by the company’s Northern Home Counties team, the project was built to achieve net zero carbon in operation and completed across two phases.
Phase one, handed over in summer 2024, saw the construction of a new two-storey, two-form entry building providing 15 classrooms on land adjacent to the former school.
Phase two involved demolishing the existing buildings and delivering a new multi-use games area (MUGA), full-sized Sport England pitch, enhanced car parking, a refurbished creche, and upgraded landscaped areas to create a more attractive and functional site.
Sustainable design and construction
As part of its Intelligent Solutions strategy, the contractor integrated sustainable design and construction methods to achieve the school’s net zero targets. This included ground source heat pumps, 270 photovoltaic panels on a bio-solar roof that supports biodiversity, and an offsite-manufactured Streif closed-panel timber frame system to reduce embodied carbon.
The project team also used CarboniCa, Morgan Sindall’s proprietary carbon assessment tool, to monitor and reduce emissions across RIBA stages four to six, ensuring optimal whole-life sustainability performance.
Work experience and apprenticeships
In addition to its environmental credentials, the scheme generated local social value, offering work experience placements and T Level apprenticeships. One student who joined the project during a construction management A Level course has since progressed to an apprentice site manager role through a T Level programme.
Emma Curtis, area director at Morgan Sindall Construction in the Northern Home Counties, said: “Seeing the new Little Reddings Primary School open its doors was a fantastic moment for the whole team, as we know this school will provide pupils and the local community with a tailored, state-of-the-art educational environment for generations to come.
“We’re also very proud of the sustainable innovations that have gone into this landmark project and how our close, collaborative relationship with the Department for Education has culminated in a high performance, Net Zero learning facility.”
Department for Education School Rebuilding Programme framework
Morgan Sindall’s appointment to this project was its first under the new Department for Education School Rebuilding Programme framework. Little Reddings Primary School was one of 11 schools in Hertfordshire selected to receive rebuilding programme funding from the Government.
Josh MacAlister, Minister for Children and Families, said: “For too long, children have been learning in crumbling classrooms that have been neglected and ignored, which is why we are going above and beyond to fix the fabric of our schools and rebuild classrooms that match the high ambitions we have for our pupils.
“It is fantastic to see pupils at Little Reddings Primary School are now learning in a school that is not only fit for the future, but somewhere that they can feel proud of and want to learn in every day.
“We are investing in the future, with almost £20 billion for the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034-35 – rebuilding over 500 schools across England with 250 additional schools to be selected in the next two years.”
The facility will be operated by the Bushey St James Trust.
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