Ref: PR2205
Date: 30/04/09

Work is about to get under way on a 21st century flagship primary school for the district.

Wakefield Council is leading on the creation of the new Sandal Magna Primary School, which will boast a host of state-of-the-art and eco-friendly features.

A turf cutting ceremony in May will mark the start of the build and when completed it is hoped that it will be promoted as a national example by the Department of Children Schools and Families for its innovative design.

The new school forms part of the Council’s commitment to promoting skills, work and enterprise, and its vision for education - ‘Our children, our future’.

Cllr Pat Garbutt, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: "This is going to be a fantastic school for children who are always at the forefront of any decisions we make on education.

"Top class facilities will mean our young people can take massive strides towards achieving their aspirations. Our vision for education is ‘Our children, our future’ and this is a perfect example of that.

"The design and features of this school mean it will be perfectly placed to deliver education for many years to come and I can’t wait to see it completed."

The new school will replace its predecessor and provide 210 places for students. It will be a flagship, sustainable school for Wakefield and features include:

• A rain water harvesting system which will be a visible demonstrative tool that will form part of the curriculum for learning about waste/re-use
• Vision panels will allow pupils to see how the building’s services and controls work, such as electricity/ICT cables and rainwater harvesting pipes
• A community room which provides a multi-functional space available for the community and the school
• Supported learning about the natural environment and ensures children have awareness of their surroundings at a very early age.

The Council has recently been successful in securing DCSF funding as part of the department’s Zero Carbon Exemplar Project. Funding will support the sustainable items of the project such as ground source heat pump, rainwater harvesting and photovoltaics.

Sandal Magna will be placed as one of the most carbon efficient primary schools within the UK and the DCSF will monitor the carbon efficiency of the building for one year after it opens in 2010.

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