Wates has started work on the first schools in the Department for Education's (DfE's) Schools Rebuilding Programme.

Wates Group will use pioneering modern methods of construction to build some of the UK's first net-zero schools, supporting the country's ambitious climate goals.

Lytham St Annes High School, Littleborough Community Primary School and Nursery, and Whitworth Community High School are the first to be built as part of the DfE’s 10-year Schools Rebuilding Programme.

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Wates will be building the schools using pioneering modern methods of construction. Procured via the DfE's Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Framework, they are part of a batch of six schools that Wates Construction was awarded in January 2020.

Once work is completed the schools will be net-zero in operation and are among the first schools built by Wates to these standards. The project is being delivered using Wates’ Adapt solution, a component-based school kit which offers a more sustainable method of construction, ensuring less waste and higher finished quality through its emphasis on offsite manufacture.

The 'fabric first' approach is optimised to provide very high levels of insulation and air tightness. In doing so, schools are significantly better than the standard Building Regulations and ensures that heating demand and energy consumption is minimised, supplemented by the use of efficient heating plant, LED lighting, and simple controls.