Wentworth Primary School – Hall and Class-Base Extension

Key Facts:

Client Name: Wentworth Primary School
Location: Maldon, Essex
Type of client: Education, Primary School
Discipline provided by M+C: Architectural Design | Planning | Building Regulations | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £227,000
Contractors: Farmer & Schelvis
M+C Lead: Stuart Cudmore

Wentworth Primary School is a well established primary school, serving Maldon in East Essex and teaching just over 400 students each year.

To meet continued demand for the school, and the ever-increasing diversity of activities within primary schools and the pressures they place on space; M+C were commissioned to develop a sympathetic extension to the existing Millennium Building to incorporate a range of uses.

The new, enhanced area includes an extension to the main school hall, a major extension to the existing IT suite and the provision of additional resource areas as well as improved link corridors throughout. In addition, to support the school’s SEN provision, the extension enabled the further development of new sensory areas.

The scheme presented a number of challenges, in particular as a result of the slightly undulating site, which created significant level changes to be dealt with within the design. As well as the aesthetic challenges, the levels present significant detailing to ensure that damp does not become a problem in the future.

The weather throughout the duration of the scheme posed particular challenges in ensuring the programme was maintained. One of the wettest winters on record delayed the earlier part of the scheme, however the Main Contractor’s Farmer & Schelvis worked conscientiously to ensure the project’s completion date was maintained.

“This scheme has provided Wentworth Primary School with a significant increase in area, split across a range of functions, enabling them to support a whole raft of activities throughout the school.”

Stuart Cudmore, Technical Director