WS Atkins plc - Atkins local team creates Village School’s colourful transformation

The Village Primary School in Thornaby is being brought firmly into the 21st Century with the help of the Stockton office of multidiscipline consultants Atkins.
Working in partnership with Stockton Borough Council’s asset and facilities management section, the Atkins team is undertaking architectural, structural and electrical design on the £500,000 scheme; it comprises a 260 m² extension to the existing school building that was built in early 1930’s. Stockton Borough Council is carrying out the quantity surveying and mechanical design.
A dramatic outdoor corridor which runs along the eastern wall will effect the biggest visual change to the school. A transition space as well as somewhere to shelter from inclement weather, the corridor which faces onto the school playground will be meshed with brightly coloured discs made from powder coated steel. Offering a bright learning environment for the pupils, the transformation of the Village Primary has been further continued with the introduction of an open plan arrangement which will see a distinction between learning spaces using primary colours.
In addition, the 240-place school which is situated on Thornaby Road will see a foundation unit comprising three classrooms, a family room and two external play areas being created as well as internal refurbishment being undertaken on an existing adjoining classroom. The work will see the replacement of three temporary Portacabins which have been in use since the 1980s.
Gary White, senior architect for Atkins, said: “Although this project isn’t grand in scale, it will effect a massive transformation for the staff and students of the school therefore we undertook an extensive consultation exercise with the head teacher and Stockton Borough Council to determine their aspirations for the scheme.
“Our team has enjoyed working in partnership with Stockton Borough Council. Although partnering can be challenging, it has allowed us to see how other people work and I have personally enjoyed building the working relationship between our teams.
“I am very much looking forward to seeing the project’s completion in August, ready for the start of the school year.”
The work will additionally effect a substantial change on access to the site making the flow of people coming onto the school premises more controlled.
Patricia Gibb, head teacher of Village Primary School, said: “This year is a very exciting time for our staff and pupils - not only are we celebrating our 75th anniversary but are all very much looking forward to starting the new school year in a vastly improved building.
“From the outset, we felt very strongly that the extension shouldn’t look like a brick box, but something different which reflected the creative work going on inside our school. The finished article will certainly be very invigorating for staff and pupils alike and will provide a new impetus for us moving forward.”

Email: alice.andreasen@clothierlacey.co.uk