Barrow CEVC primary school topping out

From afar, we celebrate the progress of the expansion at Barrow CEVC (Church of England Voluntary Controlled) Primary School today. Suffolk County Council will create two additional class bases that provide accommodation for a higher age range while increasing the capacity of the school from 150 pupils to 210.

Local contractor Brooks and Wood Ltd have been working alongside Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd to overcome the many obstacles they have been faced with over the last few months.

Stuart Boardley, Director at Brooks and Wood said: “It has without a doubt been an extremely challenging time for all businesses, with ours no exception to this. There is a real necessity for essential construction projects like this one to continue, with safety being the number one priority throughout. It is a great achievement for the scheme to reach the topping out stage, particularly given the challenges presented to us all during this pandemic. This has been made possible by the flexible and collaborative ethos shown by the teams at Concertus and Suffolk County Council but most of all the Headteacher, Helen and her staff at the school. The project will provide the school with a fantastic new learning space and further enhance our reputation as a leading provider of educational facilities within Suffolk. We now look forward to timely and safe completion.”

This project is driven by the school’s change of age range to include Years 5 and 6 and the need to provide space for the additional year groups.

Helen Ashe, Headteacher at Barrow CEVC Primary School said: “We were absolutely delighted to see the Brooks and Wood team return to site in May, following a short absence due to lockdown. The determined efforts of both the contractors and Local Authority have ensured that the project has continued to move forward, and we have quickly seen our super new building taking shape over recent weeks. As the building was originally due to be complete at the end of June, there was still sufficient flexibility in the programme to enable completion to be achieved before the start of the Autumn Term. This means that our plans remain fully on track for us to welcome Year 5 pupils to the school for the first time in September: reassuring and exciting news for our whole school community! We are now all really looking forward to Barrow children being taught in our wonderful new classroom block for the next academic year. Our grateful thanks go to everyone involved in the project during this difficult time; the professionalism and resilience from all concerned has been second to none.”

Barrow CEVC Primary was a three-tier first school for children aged 4–9 years. The school withdrew from Bury St Edmunds All-Through Trust in 2018 and the governing body subsequently agreed that the school should become a two-tier primary school offering places to children up to age 11.

Bradley Dedman, Architectural Assistant at Concertus said: “The design complements the listed schoolhouse building on site, whilst introducing contemporary construction in the form of a butterfly roof to create its own identity. Placing tall openable windows in each classroom helps introduce high volumes of natural ventilation and daylight, designed to enhance the learning environment for pupils at the school.”

The project, designed by Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd, is expected to reach completion and be handed over by Autumn 2020.