A view from the proposed pupil entrance. Image, Sense of Space

Proposals for a new school in West Carclaze have been approved by Cornwall Council.

Reds10 is the principal contractor for the scheme, with architecture and interior design by Sense of Space Architects.

The 1,750sq m Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery will accommodate 210 pupils and includes a 26-place nursery.

It will be developed as part of the wider residential development at West Carclaze Garden Village.

The two-storey school building will also be complemented by soft planting across the site, with areas of short and long grasses, native tree planting, and a dedicated habitat area for study.

Informal hard playground space will facilitate the link between the key outdoor play areas and the internal classroom layout.

And a fenced Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and grass playing field are enclosed by a soft landscape buffer around the perimeter of the site with tree planting to provide shade, shelter, and interest throughout the year.

Sustainability is embedded throughout the design, with air source heat pumps providing heating to the building and PV panels and windcatchers on the roof, in line with the energy strategy for the school.

Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery is designed to be net-zero in operation and complies to the Department for Education (DfE)’s net-zero in operation guidance, Spec21.

A view of the early years play space. Image, Sense of Space

Sense of Space has worked with Reds10 to progress a design which will integrate with the wider West Carclaze Garden Village development using a combination of local and contemporary materials.

The new school will be located at the heart of the village centre, with direct access from the adjoining neighbourhood facilities, supporting sustainable transport via a network of footpaths and cycleways.

The two-storey building will be clad in local stone at the lower level with hard-wearing fibre cement panels and metal cladding above.

The design proposals for Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery have been developed in close association with Kernow Learning Trust, which will operate the school, and the Department for Eduction (DfE).

The academy, which is part of the DfE’s Free School Programme, will be constructed using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), with 87% of the work completed offsite in Reds10’s Driffield factory.

“We are incredibly proud of Sky and its first cohorts based at Eden and we are feeling excited at the progress towards finally arriving at our permanent site – building the future for Sky before our very eyes,” said Clare Crowle, chief executive of Kernow Learning.

Joe Shepherd, director and education sector lead for Reds10, adds: “Delivering sustainable, high-quality, and cost-effective new schools is an ongoing challenge for the education sector, but the broadly-similar requirements of school buildings in the UK make them particularly amenable to the standardisation that MMC delivers.

“Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery is a fantastic opportunity to illustrate the benefits of MMC and we are very pleased to get the go-ahead from Cornwall Council and the DfE.”