New junior school opens doors to students in Highgate

Highgate School's two-year junior school building programme completes

Posted by Stephanie Broad | September 12, 2016 | Facilities & buildings

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• #highgate-school
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Pupils at Highgate Junior School are gearing up to move into their new school after contractors handed over the keys, following the completion of a two-year build programme.  

Delivered by Wates Construction, the project has seen the creation of a 4,320 sq m school building for 350 pupils aged between seven to 11 years. 

The work has also included the extensive refurbishment of the school’s Ingleholme Building, one of the few remaining 18th century ‘villa’ houses in Highgate, which saw the contractor utilise sympathetic build methods to remodel the premises.  

Designed by Architype, the new build has been constructed using Passivhaus principles to achieve a low-energy building. The school comprises teaching spaces and a main school hall to replace the former Cholmeley House library and teaching block. 

Energy efficient measures incorporated into the build include photovoltaic cells and a green roof to encourage biodiversity. These features led to the development securing a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating, which commends the project for adopting best practice for sustainable construction.   

Wates also received a Gold award by the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) for its consideration of the local community throughout the build, its efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of the project and its ongoing engagement with the school. 

Phil Shortman, Managing Director of Wates Construction London, commented: “It has been an honour to work in close partnership with Highgate to deliver a build that not only caters to 21st century teaching methods, but that does so whilst complementing the school’s valued heritage. 

“The project team’s enthusiasm has resulted in the delivery of an outstanding facility that is sympathetic to Highgate’s ancestry, whilst also introducing innovative build concepts. It is my sincere hope that the new space will serve future generations of pupils and that the contemporary school building will continually improve curriculum delivery for students and teachers alike.“  

Adam Pettitt, Head, Highgate School commented: “I’m not the only one to have been bowled over by the extraordinary transformation of our Junior School facilities: the pupils have bubbled over with enthusiasm for the space, comfort and sheer variety of exciting places in this brilliantly-conceived and delivered project.”