Building work has finished at Pilgrims’ Way Primary School in Canterbury to create a sustainable, net-zero facility
Morgan Sindall was appointed by the DfE to replace Pilgrims’ Way Primary School’s existing facilities with a brand-new and highly sustainable site. This meant the existing 1970s-era building was demolished to build a two-form entry primary school.
The facility has now been handed over to Veritas Multi Academy Trust, ready for pupils to begin attending.
Guy Hannell, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said: “The whole team is really proud of this project, especially as our Canterbury office is just down the road from Pilgrims’ Way Primary School, so we know how essential it is for the local community and the transformative impact the new facilities are going to have for the area.”
New facilities will significantly enhance the learning environment
With a capacity of 420 pupils, the new school will significantly enhance educational provision in the local community through a new hall, classroom spaces, a kitchen, and a multi-use games area (MUGA). The existing nursery has also been connected to the new facility.
Because construction took place alongside a live school environment, Morgan Sindall had to carefully plan the building work to avoid affecting the school’s day-to-day operations.
“Combining our understanding of Canterbury alongside a collaborative relationship with the DfE and Veritas Multi Academy Trust has really enabled us to factor the needs of the school’s teachers, young pupils and their parents into the design and construction of this site,” Hannell stated.
“We can’t wait to see the doors open on this new high-end and sustainable educational environment later in the year.”
The new Pilgrims’ Way Primary School is aligned with DfE net-zero objectives
Aligning with the DfE’s net-zero carbon objectives was central to the development, with sustainable design and construction processes implemented throughout.
This included air source heat pumps installed to make the site energy efficient and gas-free, as well as adding photovoltaic (PV) panels to the roof. A fabric-first approach to air tightness and insulation was adopted, with high-spec windows and doors installed to ensure a high U-value rating.
The digital carbon calculation tool CarboniCa was utilised to measure whole-life carbon emissions, ensuring potential carbon outputs were managed and reduced during the design, construction, and operation of the building.
Dr Kerry Jordan-Daus, CEO of the Veritas Mult Academy Trust, concluded: “We are delighted with our new school and all the potential it offers for our children, our families and our community, where children can belong, believe and achieve.
“The partnership with Morgan Sindall and all our colleagues from the DfE have enabled us to work together on the shared vision and goal of building a sustainable school for the future.”
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