New School Plans

1. Introduction - Kineton High School 

View towards entrances

The Department for Education and Wates have submitted ambitious plans for the re-development of Kineton High School’s existing school buildings.
Kineton has been selected as one of the first 50 schools in England to receive funding under the Government’s School Rebuilding Programme (SRP). The SRP will undertake major rebuilding and refurbishment projects, with investment targeted at school and sixth form college buildings in the worst condition across England.

The primary objective of the plans is to replace the existing secondary school buildings with a modern, efficient main school building and wider campus that will provide an ideal overall learning environment. The recently constructed science block will remain in situ.
The new buildings are designed to inspire and raise aspiration for all pupils and as such will be accessible to everyone. The new school will house a set of spaces and facilities which are also available for use by the community, including a drama studio and sports hall that will be available for community use outside of school operating hours. 
A public information event was held at the school on Wednesday 3rd November, when members of the project team and the school’s senior leadership team were on hand to answer questions about the proposals before they were submitted to Stratford-on-Avon District Council. 
 
You can view the full information event project boards here. 
A selection of the questions and answers from during and after the event can be found here.
 

2. The Campus 
What is being proposed?
The proposed Masterplan has created a new campus, defined by the new large frontage approach that aims to enhance both the pupil and wider community experiences.
 
The design of the new school has been subject to extensive stakeholder engagement with involvement from the school, Department for Education, Stratford-on-Avon District Council planning officers, Sport England and local ward and parish councillors.
 
The proposed location of the sports block, to the south west of the teaching block, was ultimately chosen because it provides several benefits for the school, community and the build programme. This option minimises impact on education and facilities within the school, including retention of existing sports courts, pitches, and trees, whilst maintaining access for students, staff and community throughout a 3-year construction programme.  It also brings the sports facilities to the public side of the school site, celebrating Kineton’s sporting credentials and allowing easy and clear access for the community.
The new campus layout allows for the creation of a welcoming front plaza with excellent landscaping features and a car parking layout that is safe and efficient for visitors, students and staff.
 

Parking and access

Vehicular routes in and out of the site will utilise the existing one way system. This is further enhanced by the design of the new enlarged car park. The one way system is being retained to ensure maximum safety for road users and pedestrians.

Pedestrian movement is rationalised and prioritised in the design with clear routes from Banbury Road to the pupil and visitor entrances. All pick up and drop off will be contained onsite with 14 onsite coach bays helping improve safety and alleviate congestion at peak times.

Cycle access has also been improved with the addition of a painted cycle lane on the Western access point that leads to the relocated cycle parking to the south of the proposed sports hall.

 

3. The New School 

Floor Plans

Each floor of the new school building has been designed closely with the school to ensure specific teaching and operational needs are met, while also expressing the school’s character and values.

The ground floor has been designed to welcome all visitors, students and staff. The prominent student entrance directs all entrants into the heart of the building, placing them in the triple height, naturally-lit dining area, with good access to the external dining spaces and the main hall.
The ground floor is also home to new music facilities with dedicated practice rooms, alongside improved spaces for the teaching of food technology, constructional textiles, resistant materials and graphic design. 

The first floor contains a large number of new teaching spaces, including the Languages and Art departments, complete with Dark Room and Kiln, with several Information Communications Technology (ICT) rooms. The Maths, English and Humanities departments are located on the second floor.

To support these spaces, staff facilities are available throughout, providing superb access for teaching staff and passive supervision of the building as a whole

Design development
The materials of the proposed building have been carefully considered to provide a solution, which creates both robustness and the desired aesthetic. 
Fibre cement cladding will wrap around the entirety of the building at ground floor level. The upper floors will be clad in a raised standing seam metal cladding, which provides a lightweight rainscreen that can incorporate feature colours to break down the visual mass of the new blocks.
The front elevation will benefit from recessed coloured curtain walling based on the school branding to highlight the key entrances to the building.

 
 
Learning Resource Centre
Located at the visitor entrance to the building is the Learning Resource Centre (LRC). The LRC accommodates the school library, ICT facilities and group learning spaces within one triple-height hub. A mezzanine study area provides a separate space for sixth form pupils.

 

 

4. The New Sports Block 

 

The new sports block provides fantastic sporting facilities to the school and surrounding community. The building contains a 4-court sports hall, activity studio, fitness suite and PE classroom with a variety of associated changing facilities.


The location of the sports block allows for out-of-hours community access, improved visibility and accessibility, and provides long-term benefits of the school’s redevelopment.

 

 

 

5. Net Zero Carbon and Sustainability 
In line with government requirements, the Department for Education is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero across its estate by 2050. 

The new school buildings will achieve Net Zero Carbon in Operation. All new school buildings are to be future-proofed to avoid the risk of overheating by testing the building design with an alternative standard to the current Overheating Risk Assessment Criteria.  

Key NZCiO features include: 
  • Photovoltaic (PV) array (solar panels) for sustainable energy. 
  • Reduced reliance on fossil fuels and lower energy demand. 
  • Improved insualtion. 
  • Passive design maximising natural daylight and ventilation. 
  • Efficient energy provision e.g. PV (solar) panels and air source heat pumps. 

 

6. The Build 

The proposals require redevelopment of the site whilst the existing school remains fully operational for the duration of construction. Therefore, protecting the continuation of vital educational services and provision of community facilities has been a top priority.
Arrangements for temporary parking, construction access and sports hall facilities are detailed on the image and key.
 
KEY PROGRAMME DATES:

  • November 2021 Planning application submission
  • April 2022 Planned commencement of works onsite
  • January 2023 New sports hall complete
  • March 2024 New teaching block complete
  • March 2024 Phased demolition of existing school buildings and incremental formation of new cark park and landscaped school approach
  • January 2025 Works Complete
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st November 2021 - New Build Public Consultation