Topping out the University of Cambridge Primary School building

The main contractor, Willmott Dixon welcomed guests from the School, the University and the development team to the site of the new school building.  The topping-out event marked the installation of the roof light located on the highest point of the building. 

Those in attendance included: the School’s Headteacher, James Biddulph; Chair of the School Governors, Professor John Rallison; the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Affairs, Professor Jeremy Sanders; Registrary, Dr Jonathan Nicholls; and the Deputy Project Director, Heather Topel, and Construction Director, Gavin Heaphy for the North West Cambridge Development alongside Managing Director of Willmott Dixon, Chris Tredget.

Work on the iconic circular design of the school started in November 2014 and will be completed in two phases.  The first phase of the building is due to be handed over in August 2015 for the start of the academic year in September 2015.  The second phase of the building is expected to be handed over in December 2015.

James Biddulph, Headteacher of the school said: “Seeing the building take its incredible form this year has been very inspirational - the circular shape, open spaces and teaching rooms will make for a fantastic learning environment for the school community and we are grateful to the team for the remarkable progress that has been made to date. Our teachers can’t wait to start the new term in the new facility with our new pupils.”

The University of Cambridge Primary School will provide education for children aged four – 11. The school will be a mixed-ability co-educational school. It will not have a specific religious character, nor a particular faith ethos. In addition to providing an inclusive and high-quality primary education for local children, the University of Cambridge Primary School will also offer unique training and research opportunities through its close relationship with the Faculties and Departments of the University of Cambridge.

The design of the building by Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the London Eye, has been informed by discussions with the Faculty of Education and leading educational experts to create a unique learning environment that will fulfil its commitments to being an inclusive school and to being a University Training School.  

View the construction of the school building in time-lapsed footage here

Heather Topel, Deputy Project Director of the North West Cambridge Development said: “Delivering the primary school is a demonstrable commitment that the University has made to providing community facilities from the outset. It is a great milestone not just for the school but also the wider development and local communities, and we look forward to welcoming children and their families as the first users of the buildings in the very near future.”

The University of Cambridge Primary School will open in September 2015 for its first intake of children, with up to 120 pupils across the Reception class and Years 1 and 2. Further details about the University of Cambridge Primary School, visit www.universityprimaryschool.org.uk

Access to the school will be along the new road off Huntingdon Road, called Eddington Avenue, and restricted initially to parents and users of the school due to on-going construction works for the first phase of the North West Cambridge Development. The school will be the first building in operation as part of the 150-hectare North West Cambridge Development. 

The North West Cambridge Development is the largest single capital project that the University of Cambridge has undertaken in its 800-year history. Outline planning permission was granted in February 2013 for the scheme, subject to approval of site-wide legal conditions and Reserved Matters Applications, on the 150-hectare site of University farmland situated in between Huntingdon Road, Madingley Road and the M11.

The masterplan includes 3,000 homes (50% ‘key worker’ housing, available for qualifying University and Colleges employees), 2,000 post-graduate student spaces, 100,000 sqm of research space, a local centre and community facilities including a primary school, nursery, doctors’ surgery, supermarket and retail units, as well as all of the site-infrastructure and landscaping for the scheme. The development has been designed as an extension to the city, with an urban rather than suburban grain and will be of the highest design quality as well as being an exemplar of sustainable living. 

Pictured Front row: (L-R) Gavin Heaphy, Jeremy Sanders, James Biddulph, Jonathan Nicholls, Chris Tredget.