Work has started on Kingsbrook Secondary School, a £35m new low carbon sixth form entry secondary school in Aylesbury.
The scheme is being delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business for Buckinghamshire Council under the Southern Construction Framework (SCF), a collaborative construction framework for public bodies to procure major building works.
The new secondary school will be situated in the flagship, nature-friendly Kingsbrook housing development, where Morgan Sindall Construction is also currently delivering Kingsbrook View Primary Academy.
Works include a new two- and three-storey 900-place secondary school, with 180 sixth form places and a 32 place Special Educational Needs (SEN) unit to serve the Kingsbrook community. The school’s main hall, sports centre and external sports areas will be available for hire outside of school hours for the benefit of the local community.
David Rowsell, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “We are delighted to be starting works on another portion of this key development for Aylesbury. Morgan Sindall Construction has enjoyed a long-standing close working relationship with Buckinghamshire Council and we look forward to continuing this collaboration by delivering the new Kingsbrook Secondary School.
“The construction of Kingsbrook Secondary School will help to provide school places for a growing community whilst the focus on creating a low carbon, energy efficient building provides a sustainable space that will complement the wildlife friendly ethos of the wider Kingsbrook scheme and benefit both families and the environment for generations to come.“
Councillor Julie Ward, Deputy Cabinet Member for Children’s Services (Education & Skills) commented: “We are delighted that construction work has now begun on the new Kingsbrook School in Aylesbury. The innovative technologies and state-of-the-art design being incorporated will ensure that in addition to providing a much-needed facility for local families, it reflects our commitment as a council to investing in a greener future for the whole community of Buckinghamshire.
“The building of the school has been secured by the council through developer contributions and is a good example of where growth can contribute to delivering essential local infrastructure.”
At over 10,000 square metres, the building will boast a number of features in order to enhance its sustainability credentials. These features include air source heat pumps and the use of modern methods of construction to utilise Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) for the external façade, which improves the building’s ability to retain heat and boosts its efficiency levels. Additional MMC elements include the design and manufacture of pre-fabricated MEP service modules for the project’s main service runs.
To reduce the building’s carbon footprint as much as possible, the site team evaluated the design using Morgan Sindall Construction’s CarboniCa carbon calculation tool. The CarboniCa tool was launched earlier this year as part of Morgan Sindall Construction’s strategy of achieving net zero carbon by 2030.
Throughout the duration of the project, 30 new job opportunities, including apprenticeships and graduate roles, will be created, and a dedicated training centre set up by Morgan Sindall Construction on site will provide training for local people looking to reskill or explore new career options under Buckinghamshire Council’s Response to Redundancy pre-employment training scheme.
Works on the school are set to complete in time to welcome the first cohort of students in 2022.
