A deal has been struck with Morgan Sindall to build a new primary school in Eastleigh.

The contractor has begun work on site to deliver Stoneham Park Primary Academy, which will provide places for 315 children.

The new school, for children aged four to 11, is designed to encourage community use, with a learning resource area at the heart of the plan. Set over two floors, the school boasts 11 classrooms, group working rooms, a library, a new multi-use games area (MUGA) and grassed play areas. Once complete, the school will take full advantage of the extensive grounds with a full forest school and an outdoor learning programme.

The school will sit within North Stoneham Park, a new mixed-use, residential development that will create over 1,000 new homes in Eastleigh alongside sporting and leisure facilities, a nursery, office buildings and a retail centre. It will meet future demand from the new development and is part of a wider initiative to provide 18,500 new school places for pupils across the county by 2021.

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Cliff Kinch, area director of Morgan Sindall Construction's Fareham office, said: "We are delighted to have started work to deliver this brand new primary school, which will be an essential addition to North Stoneham Park.

"The new school building will be a high-quality, sustainable facility - providing a teaching and learning environment that will inspire and motivate school users and become an integral part of the local community.

"Morgan Sindall Construction has long-standing expertise within the education sector, and we look forward to furthering our strong relationship with Hampshire County Council, the University of Winchester Academy Trust, and the local community as we deliver this new school."

Morgan Sindall Construction's project team is building the school using the Streif modular system, which allows the structural panels to be delivered to the site with external windows, doors and glazing pre-installed. The system ensures a shorter timescale of delivery and a smaller volume of deliveries to the construction site.

Once built, responsibility for the school will be handed to the University of Winchester Academy Trust, which has been appointed as the academy sponsor by the Department for Education.

Professor Joy Carter, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winchester and Chair of the University of Winchester Academy Trust, added: "It is a huge privilege to be setting out on this journey to lead another successful school to serve our community. We aim to create an academy where children will learn and flourish and which is aspirational, inclusive and joyful.

"Stoneham Park Primary Academy will benefit from the University's outstanding track record in teacher education and extensive regional school partnerships, our evidence-based learning and teaching, our powerful links with local business and community organisations, and our passionate commitment to sustainability and social justice."

The project is expected to be complete in time for the first intake of pupils in 2020.

(CM/JG)