Leading Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction works on the new Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
The £4.8m scheme sees 210 primary and 26 nursery places become available to the local area, ready for the start of the next academic year this September and is the first school to be built in the area in over 40 years.
The new, two-storey 1FE primary free school has been delivered through the Staffordshire County Council Framework and was project managed by Entrust. Now complete, it will be run by the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust and a ceremony will be held later in the year to celebrate the opening.
It comprises of nine classrooms, a library, catering spaces, indoor sports facilities and an outdoor play area. There is also a MUGA (multi-use games area) pitch on site to enable a number of sports activities for pupils.
The school has been constructed with consideration for proposed expansion to 2FE in the future — taking its capacity up to 420 primary and 52 nursery places in total — to accommodate for further planned housing schemes in the local area.
G F Tomlinson has been entrusted to deliver five schools to date for Staffordshire County Council with Fradley Park Primary School being the latest, following the recently completed Bramshall Meadows Primary School in Uttoxeter.
Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are delighted to have completed Fradley Park Primary School with framework partner Staffordshire County Council, which will provide much-needed school and nursery places for the local community in Lichfield.”
“Our completion of this project also coincides with that of Bramshall Meadows Primary School — another scheme that we have worked on through the Staffordshire County Council Framework. We’re pleased to continue to be very active in this region, in the education sector and in general, building numerous quality schools throughout the Midlands.”
Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education Jonathan Price said: “Fradley Park is the latest of our primary schools to be built in response to growing demand for school places locally Whenever there is new housing in an area, we always work with developers, local schools and the Department for Education to put plans in place to meet increased demand for school places.
“With its brand-new library, sports facilities and state-of-the-art classrooms, this school will provide children with a fantastic environment in which to learn and grow.”
Mike Donoghue, CEO of John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust, expressed his delight over the completion of the school, commented: “We’re extremely pleased to see Fradley Park ready to open its doors to local children and their families. As our first primary free school, Fradley Park has been a key priority for the Trust, and we have been supported extremely well by Staffordshire County Council, Entrust, the Department for Education and GF Tomlinson.
“Our close working relationship has played no small part in enabling us to reach this milestone so effectively, and for us to be receiving a truly wonderful new school that will grow with its local communities for generations.”
Header image credit: G F Tomlinson
