Anker Valley Primary School
Value: £5M
Type: New Build
Partner: G F Tomlinson
Construction of a new two storey primary school to accommodate 210 primary places and 26 nursery spaces. Built as part of the new Anker Valley residential scheme (1,100 new homes) it was the first newly built primary school in Tamworth for over 40 years.
External works to the scheme include soft and hard outdoor PE and play areas, car parking, 18 cycle spaces and a wildlife habitat area. The school is managed by the Fierte Multi Academy Trust.
Prior to construction, we undertook 15 weeks’ worth of enabling works to prepare the site for construction. This included substantial earthworks to cut and fill the existing site to create new levels and plateaus, the installation of retaining walls to the site boundaries, piling and foundation works and improvements to the existing site entrance. New foul sewer connections into Brooklime Way were created with the new storm water connection made from a new pond to the rear of the site.
Due to the proximity of the school to the new housing development, a number of design features were required to ensure the new school and the grounds did not overlook the houses. This included using the lowest ground level so that the building appeared ‘submerged’ to the road level. First floor windows were positioned at an oblique angle to offer no vision of the new properties.
The mass and scale of the building was further broken up by indenting the roof line and articulating panel arrangements on the façade that reflect the incongruent nature of house façades on a sloping site.
We installed temporary fencing on the boundary of the site with a mix of shrubs and trees planted around the boundaries.
The main building was constructed using red clay brickwork that reflects the surrounding buildings and traditional brickwork formerly manufactured in Tamworth.
Project highlights
- Undertook Virtual careers day (due to Covid restrictions at the time) for 14-15 year olds
- GFT Apprentice on site full time
- Use of bi energy powered access and eco site cabins
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination and hard work and so many people have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for almost 3 years to create this dream. The incredible Anker Valley team along with the fantastic G F Tomlinson team, went above and beyond unpacking deliveries, assembling furniture and getting every room ready for the arrival of our first cohort of children in September 2021.”
Natalie Horlor, Head of School – Anker Valley Primary School