Bowmer and Kirkland (B&K) has completed a £4.2 million school refurbishment project in London.

The scheme, delivered in partnership with Pick Everard, was carried out at The Queen's Church of England Primary School in Richmond. The project formed part of the Government's £4.4 billion Priority School Building Programme, which rebuilds school buildings in poor condition.

The new school contains a central corridor at each floor level for easy way-finding, forming a two-storey block with a double height hall and single-storey kitchen. The hall and kitchen are located at one end of the building to provide a community facility that can be separated from the rest of the school if required and is a space large enough for use by the whole school.

Classrooms are spread across both floors, with a large practical teaching area located on the first floor. Reception classrooms are located on the ground floor with direct free-flow access to outdoor play areas and learning zones designed specifically for respective key stages.

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Environmental features of the building include utilising mixed mode ventilation with heat recovery to improve efficiency and eliminate the need to use excessive energy for cooling. In addition, Water efficient fittings have been installed to reduce hot and cold water consumption, while daylight is maximised with the use of "daylight dimming", reducing the need for artificial light.

Paul Rothera, director at Pick Everard, said: "The previous building was no longer fit for purpose with poor lighting, insulation and the costs of ongoing maintenance and repair were significant.  Therefore, demolition was required and a new state-of-art building was created which is more conducive to high quality learning.

"The new school provides a solution where not only do the children and staff benefit from a greatly improved teaching and learning environment, considerable savings have also been made to reduce the ongoing costs of running the school."

Ed Sutton, B&K associate director, added: "The Queen's Church of England Primary is one of many schools we have completed, or are currently constructing across the country, for the Education Funding Agency. It is really pleasing to think that Bowmer & Kirkland has been part of the team which has helped to improve the learning environment and future prospects of many young children in the borough of Richmond."

(LM/MH)