Mickleton Primary and Nursery School

Mickleton Primary School and Nursery was in a poor state of repair and with no space for expansion due to its location in the centre of a Cotswold village, it was decided to relocate the school. The new location, on a greenfield site at the edge of the village and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), required extensive consultation with the school and local communities to ensure its successful integration into the rural area. In order to fund the new build project, part of this county owned new site was sold to a developer for housing.

Consequently, it was imperative for the project to be completed to budget. Quattro’s Primary School Architects were appointed as Education Architects of choice.

Due to the rural setting, the design required a traditional appearance; a responsive vernacular form loosely based on the surrounding farm buildings with the larger mass of the hall and adjacent administrative facilities and lower classroom blocks forming an enclosed courtyard playground. Environmental features included high insulation values, natural ventilation and good levels of natural lighting.

The building consists of a series of masonry blocks with lightweight timber frame wrap around circulation. A limited palette of external materials has been used: untreated cedar boarding, recon masonry, and coloured render with standing seam Aluzinc and recon slate roofing.

This new school building was procured using a two-stage tendered traditional contract and a partnering approach in conjunction with Gloucestershire County Council Corporate Services and contractor Speller Metcalfe Ltd.

As part of the Community Consultation & Engagement process, former pupils participated in a Rural Skills Training Scheme assisting preparation and installation of timber products used in the fencing and landscaping.