ROBIN HOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Local authority: Nottingham City Council
Project type: New build
Architect: Capita Symonds
Products supplied: Integral finger guards, Retrofit finger guards

Background

Between 2009 and 2011, Nottingham City Council (NCC) invested £18 million to deliver primary school buildings fit for the 21st century through their award-winning LEP.

At the heart of this transformation, and the Bestwood Park community within which it sits, is Robin Hood Primary School. The
school, which caters for 420 pupils aged 7 to 11 and has a 60 place nursery, benefited from a £2.8 million investment through the Primary Capital Programme (PCP). Construction began in January 2010 and was largely completed in May 2011.

Design objectives

The design team of Peter Hemphill (NCC Design Manager), David Wilcock (Capita Symonds Architect) and Andrew Sharp (Head Teacher) developed a bold vision for the school:

Culture and creativity at its heart
A building to showcase pupil achievement
Unite the long, disjointed (split-site) school
Two storeys: minimise footprint / maximise budget
Sustainability, safety and life cost savings through carefully specified materials and products

Delivering the project

The design team, against a back drop of 40% budgetary cuts, made savings by clever use of materials such as 100% recycled agricultural cladding and – even more significantly going against “single storey” tradition.