The first bricks have been laid for a Trowbridge primary school extension that responds to its needs but takes inspiration from the town’s Georgian and Victorian architecture.

The Grove Primary School is to gain a new classroom extension and resource centre for Key Stage 2 and Special Educational Needs pupils.

 The school’s headteacher Stuart Woodburn said: “This project will significantly improve the learning environment and enable our pupils to thrive and flourish.

“They are also looking at the jobs being undertaken across the site as we progress through the building works.”

Sharon Gingell, who was pupil at The Grove when the school first opened, is now a teacher there and some of her pupils took part in the brick-laying celebration on Thursday, November 14.

Stuart Woodburn, head teacher at The Grove Primary School, with Paul Skipp, chief executive of the Equa Mead Learning Trust, at the brick laying celebration. Stuart Woodburn, head teacher at The Grove Primary School, with Paul Skipp, chief executive of the Equa Mead Learning Trust, at the brick laying celebration. (Image: Trevor Porter)

The new building will replace temporary buildings and provide four new classrooms for Years 5 and 6 and a Resource Base for the school.

The school’s website says: “The Grove Primary School is to benefit from Department for Education and Wiltshire Council funding to improve the condition of our school buildings.

“This will enable the school’s old modular buildings currently used for Year 5 and Year 6 classes, and music and maths sessions for the whole of KS2, to be replaced with a new permanent block providing state-of-the-art facilities for our pupils, staff and the local community.

“The new block will also include a resource base to support children with Education Health Care Plans for communication and interaction needs.”

Sharon Gingell, who was a pupil when the school was first built, is now a teacher at the school. Sharon Gingell, who was a pupil when the school was first built, is now a teacher at the school. (Image: Trevor Porter)

A team appointed by Wiltshire Council has worked with the school to design the new block to accommodate the required facilities while also keeping the building as compact and low-impact as possible.

The new south-facing classrooms will have views to the school’s playing field and will keep SEN pupils within the heart of the existing school.]

The new facilities will include a private SEN external play area, as well as provide an improved KS2 external play area, and an expansion of the reception play area and car park.

An existing canopy and play trail will both be relocated, and there will be a corner window seat with playground views.

The building will be built from low carbon construction materials and include sustainable energy features.

These will include solar panels, large windows to increase solar gain, and intelligent passive ventilation with heat recovery.

It will also have ultra quiet heat pumps for low carbon energy efficient heating and ecology enhancements including swift, bee and bat boxes.