Morgan Sindall Construction celebrated a significant milestone with a topping out ceremony at Chuter Ede Primary School's Fernwood site, part of a £9.4million single-storey extension project.

The expansion will add 210 primary school places, effectively doubling the school's capacity and supporting growth in the Newark area.

Designed, project and cost-managed by Arc Partnership, a joint venture between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE, the project will provide eight new classrooms, a library and music room, an activity hall, a medical room, a football pitch, and new outdoor equipment, all scheduled for completion in September.

Key stakeholders attended the ceremony, including Cllr Mick Barton, Nottinghamshire County Council Leader, and Councillors Rory Green, Simon Wright, and James Walker-Gurley, along with representatives from Arc Partnership, teachers, and students. Guests toured the site and joined pupils in signing a large piece of plasterboard, now installed within the building.

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The project has emphasized social value for the local community. Nottingham Trent University students are developing skills in architecture, technology, project management, and quantity surveying through partnerships with Arc Partnership and Morgan Sindall, participating in site visits and project-focused lectures. Morgan Sindall has dedicated over 50 hours to school engagement and provided 10 weeks of work placements, with more than 200 students visiting the site to gain real-world experience.

Additionally, the Morgan Sindall team has raised £5,508 in charitable donations for the local community and volunteered 26 hours at events including Newark Food Bank. The project has generated £912k in social value, a 12% return on social investment.

Chuter Ede Fernwood, an annex of Chuter Ede Primary School in Balderton, was originally built in 2012 by Morgan Sindall Construction for the growing Fernwood estate and is being developed in three phases. The first two phases, delivering a sports field, outdoor play area, car parking, and landscaping, have already been completed.

Richard Fielding, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Midlands, said: "Reaching this milestone is a proud moment for our team and a real marker of the momentum we've built together since we originally delivered the building in 2012. This expansion will make a meaningful difference to the Fernwood community, giving local children the modern, high-quality learning environment they deserve. We've placed a real emphasis on delivering social value throughout this project with some really great results now coming to fruition, and I'm looking forward to seeing the full impact of that work take shape as we approach completion this year.

"Alongside Arc Partnership and Nottinghamshire County Council, we've worked hard to keep disruption to the school to an absolute minimum and we're on course to deliver a fantastic result ready for September's new intake."