Construction work for a new primary school, which will accommodate 210 students in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, has begun as local contractor Willmott Dixon starts work on-site.

The £5.5m Holywell Spring Farm Primary School will provide much-needed schooling places for the expanding local community. The school, which is located in Burton Road and is being built on behalf of Leicestershire County Council, has been designed specifically for the children of the new 450-home development currently being built within the catchment area.

The school will be within walking distance of the homes, helping to reduce carbon emissions in the area.

Willmott Dixon has a long-standing relationship with Leicestershire County Council and has been working with the local authority on construction projects for over 15 years.

Nick Heath, director of operations at Willmott Dixon said:

“We are very excited to be continuing our longstanding relationship with Leicestershire County Council – this scheme will provide much-needed schooling places for the local community throughout Ashby de la Zouch’s period of rapid expansion. This project is the latest in a number of developments that Willmott Dixon, Leicestershire County Council and Scape have collaborated on, and we would like to thank all of those involved for their hard work and commitment in getting this project underway despite Covid-19.

“Our teams are experienced within the education industry and we are already on-site at three other schools in Leicestershire. As a business with offices and employees within the East Midlands, we are delighted to be continuing our role in the council’s School Place Planning Strategy and provide sought-after school places for local children.”

Procured via Major Works England and Northern Ireland - a part of the Scape National Construction framework - the project has been designed by Kast Architects. It has been confirmed that the new school will be managed by an academy and the council is already in the process of selecting the managing trust.

Nick added:

“As with all our projects, we aim to leave a lasting legacy on the communities we work within and have therefore committed to investing five per cent back into the local community during this development.

“Our teams will also be running initiatives that will support local people into employment and provide employability skills and training opportunities. Our on-site teams will also be partnering with local schools and colleges to promote careers in construction, as well as providing career guidance, workshops, site tours and mock interviews.”

Councillor Deborah Taylor, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for children and families, said:

“Developing more school places is a key priority of the council and this exciting new development will reduce pressure in the Ashby area.

“We want children to have access to first-class local schools and remain committed to creating more places where there is growing demand.”

Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, said:

“These new school places will no doubt be welcomed by the families in the Ashby de la Zouch community. This project is also a fantastic showcase of the collaborative and forward-thinking approach that the Council has taken to enabling sustainable residential expansion.

We’re extremely proud that our framework has helped to accelerate this important project and I’m in no doubt that Holywell Spring Farm Primary School will be seen as a first class learning environment, that is the result of the partnership approach that exists between Leicestershire County Council and Willmott Dixon.”

It is anticipated that the school will be ready for its first intake of pupils at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

Willmott Dixon is experienced in delivering various schemes across the region - the school sits directly opposite the Springfields independent living facility, which the contractor is expected to complete in 2021. Willmott Dixon also has extensive experience of building within the education sector - having undertaken work at South Charnwood High School – as well as currently working on Fernvale Primary School, Newlands School and Thistley Meadow Primary School across Leicestershire.