Wates Construction has begun work on Coundon Court School in Coventry, the third net-zero school currently being built by the company in the West Midlands, following in the footsteps of Hartshill Academy and Kineton High School.
The projects are part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) 10-year Schools Rebuilding Programme, which carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at school and sixth-form college buildings across England.
Wates, one of the UK’s leading family-owned construction, residential development and property services companies, will be building the schools using its Adapt solution, which uses sustainable modern methods of construction to manufacture components offsite, ensuring less waste and higher finished quality.
With the school estate representing a quarter of public sector carbon emissions, the successful decarbonisation of school buildings is essential to help the UK successfully deliver on its target for a 2050 net zero carbon economy.
Wates will deliver three new blocs for Coundon Court School in Coventry, providing space for a total of 2,100 students. The school facilities will be upgraded, including the courtyard and quad areas, with work due to be completed in 2026. The school will remain operational whilst the site is being built and the Singer building is being preserved at the centre of the project to maintain its rich history.
Construction work at Hartshill Academy in Nuneaton and Kineton High School in Warwick includes replacing existing school buildings, providing space for 1,050 and 1,100 students respectively. The new, state-of-the-art buildings will have improved fabric performance to increase energy efficiency, including air source heat pumps, solar panels on the building’s roof and ground level canopies alongside biodiverse green roofs. Work began on both schools in April, with Hartshill due for completion in 2024 and Kineton in 2025.
As part of Wates’ commitments to social and environmental initiatives the company will deliver the project using local workforce, creating 6 new jobs through its supply chain and giving back to the community through work experience and employability sessions.
Stewart Forbes, Project Director at Wates Construction, said: “We are proud to continue our work with the Department for Education, delivering another set of innovative net-zero schools. Building on our leading position in the industry, our use of sustainable modern methods of construction is not only delivering efficient, state-of-the-art buildings for our customers which will improve the learning environment for school children across the country, but also helping the education sector tackle its significant carbon emissions and ultimately supporting the nations ambitious climate goals.”
