A topping out ceremony has marked a major milestone in the construction of Orchard View Primary Academy in Aylesbury, celebrating progress on a new primary school serving the Kingsbrook development.

The school is being delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business, following its appointment by Buckinghamshire Council. Once completed in summer 2026, Orchard View Primary Academy will be operated by the Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust.

The ceremony celebrated the completion of the school's timber frame and brought together future pupils and teachers, alongside representatives from Buckinghamshire Council and project partners Morgan Sindall and the Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust.

Procured through the Southern Construction Framework, the project will deliver a two form-entry primary school providing 420 places, alongside a 60-place nursery, a 12-place SEND provision, and a range of multipurpose outdoor spaces. The design also allows for future expansion, increasing capacity to up to 630 pupils.

The two-storey main building will include classrooms for each year group, a main hall, catering facilities, staff and office accommodation, a Learning Resource Centre, activity studio, and specialist teaching spaces for food technology, science, and design and technology. A dedicated SEND provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs will be integrated into the main building, featuring two classrooms, sensory rooms, a therapy room, and life skills areas.

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A separate single-storey building will house the nursery, providing two playrooms alongside WCs, a kitchenette, and storage. Outdoor facilities will include a Sport England-standard pitch, a multi-use games area (MUGA), hard courts, and dedicated playgrounds.

The building structure incorporates offsite-manufactured timber frame walls, a first-floor system of pre-cast hollow core concrete planks, insulated timber roof cassettes, and a pre-cast lift shaft and staircases.

Sustainability is a core focus of the project, with Morgan Sindall applying its Intelligent Solutions approach to align with Buckinghamshire Council’s environmental strategy. Orchard View Primary Academy is set to become the county’s first Net Zero in Operation school.

The design has been informed by Morgan Sindall's CarboniCa digital carbon assessment tool, with a fabric-first approach adopted to maximise energy efficiency. High-performance external envelopes, airtight construction, and carefully specified glazing aim to optimise thermal comfort while reducing energy demand.

Renewable technologies include a large rooftop photovoltaic array and green roofs, which provide insulation, cooling, stormwater management, and biodiversity benefits. Heating and hot water will be supplied by air source heat pumps, while ventilation will primarily rely on natural methods, supported by Natural Ventilation with Heat Recovery (NVHR) units to maintain indoor air quality efficiently.

Morgan Sindall is also working closely with the local community to reduce disruption and deliver social value, including traffic management planning, partnerships with Buckinghamshire College Group for training and skills development, and the use of local suppliers.

Emma Curtis, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Northern Home Counties, said: "We were delighted to celebrate this milestone moment in the Orchard View Academy’s construction with Buckinghamshire Council and the Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust as well as with the teachers and pupils who will make this school their home. This project revolves around creating an inspiring, supportive, and sustainable learning environment that's tailored to the local community, making it something the whole team is incredibly proud of."