Sawston Village College breaks ground on major milestone in DfE school rebuilding programme

On Wednesday, 26 November, key stakeholders from Anglian Learning, Sawston Village College, the Department of Education, Mott Macdonald and main contractor Bowmer + Kirkland gathered to mark the official breaking of the ground for a new, two-storey building.

The new building is part of Sawston Village College’s two-year regeneration project and will deliver a modern teaching block designed to enrich the learning environment for pupils and staff. The development includes state-of-the-art classrooms, advanced technology and IT suites, dedicated SEN provision, and an improved larger dining area.

It is being funded by the Department for Education (DfE) school rebuilding programme (SRP). The project also includes a refurbishment of the college’s existing sports centre and the Marven Centre, formation of a new car park, a bus turning circle and waiting bays.

The full project is set to be completed by Spring 2028. The college is part of Anglian Learning, a multi-academy trust with 18 schools in East Anglia.

Jonathan Culpin, CEO of Anglian Learning, said, “I am delighted that we have reached this key milestone in Sawston’s regeneration journey. This major investment in improving Sawston’s facilities is vital in securing the continued success of its pupils’ educational outcomes for many years to come.”

Claudine Bateman, Project Lead on behalf of Anglian Learning, said, “Maintaining the safety and minimising disruption to our pupils and colleagues during the build has been at the forefront of this project. I am pleased to see the operation continue to run smoothly, thanks to the builders’ extensive experience of working within an open school.”

Jonathan Russell, Principal of Sawston Village College, said, “One of our key values as a college is community. This project ensures we can continue to thrive together with better facilities not just for pupils, but for all ages, exactly as our founder Henry Morris envisaged when the school was built in 1930”.

Design and build contractor, Bowmer + Kirkland, plans for the college to better accommodate pupils and staff, reduce running costs, bolster the collegiate style layout, protect its historic listed buildings and provide improved facilities for the local community to share.

Matthew Saxby, Senior Site Manager of Bowmer + Kirkland, said, “This is an exciting project to be part of and will offer a more welcoming and safe environment at the college. I am pleased that we are progressing well and wish to congratulate the hard work of all involved in reaching this key stage in the development”.

(L-R) Jonathan Culpin, CEO of Anglian Learning, Claudine Bateman, Project Lead on behalf of Anglian Learning, Matthew Saxby, Senior Site Manager Bowmer + Kirland, Maddie, Year 11 Pupil of Sawston Village College, Jonathan Russell, Principal of Sawston Village College, Lewis, Year 11 Pupil of Sawston Village College, Billy Sander, Trainee Quantity Surveyor Bowmer + Kirkland, Priya Schoenfelder, Chair of Governors at Sawston Village College, Harvey Green, Project Manager at the Department of Education, Jack Duffy, Project Quantity Surveyor Bowmer + Kirkland, Robert Senior Brown, Project Manager Bowmer + Kirkland, Alexander Russell, Graduate Project Manager at Mott Macdonald, Colin Anderson Regional Head at the Department of Education and Hannah Pointon, Project Manager Mott Macdonald.

Sawston’s community will be updated on the build’s progress via Sawston Village College’s website, which includes Bowmer + Kirkland’s newsletter.

To learn more about the regeneration project, please visit: https://sawstonvc.org/planning-for-our-future/.