Great Leighs Primary School – New Catering Kitchen

Key Facts:

Client Name: Great Leighs Primary School
Location: Great Leighs, Essex
Type of client: Education, Primary School
Discipline provided by M+C: Design (including kitchen layout) | Building Regulations | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £90,000
Contractors: Court Catering
M+C Lead: Lee Hatwell

Great Leighs Primary School is a popular primary school based in an idyllic location just outside of Chelmsford, Essex, teaching just over 225 students.

Due to a lack of existing catering facilities, the school had always previously offered a packed lunch for free school meals. However the Universal Infants Free School Meals initiative from the Government enabled the school to benefit from the capital investment available to convert an existing space in to a full production kitchen.

Programmed over the summer recess, the new installation converted an existing community room in to a full production kitchen, along with a spacious food storage area and a staff changing area, all adjacent to the main school hall.

Whilst the area available was somewhat limited, diligent design ensure that a full production kitchen could be created. This then allowed the school to take on and accommodate a catering staff of four to deliver hot meals on a daily basis to a very high standard.

The site limitations have placed a number of compromises on the design, however the facility that has been provided offers the school a huge overall benefit and flexibility for the future.

As a result of the new kitchen installation, the school has seen the uptake of free school meals rise to 84% within KS1 and 47% in KS2.

“Lee Hatwell of M+C worked tirelessly to provide us with a fantastic kitchen. We cannot fault his interest and diligence; the final result is just amazing.”

Janis Waters, Head Teacher