HRH The Duke of Cornwall has unveiled the name of the new primary school planned for Nansledan.
He unveiled a granite plaque bearing the name of the new school, which is Skol Nansledan – ‘skol’ being the Cornish word for school. Cornish names feature throughout Nansledan, which itself means ‘broad valley’.
In line with the Duchy’s commitment to source materials locally where possible, granite for the school’s plaque came from De Lank Quarry near Bodmin, which has already supplied more than 1,000 tonnes of granite to Nansledan for kerbing, paving and lintels. A further 500 tonnes of Cornish slate from Trevillett Slate quarry near Tintagel has also been used since work started in 2014.
The 14-classroom school will be built by regional contractor Midas Construction, with work due to start shortly. It will cater for around 420 children and be operated by the Aspire Academy Trust educational charity, which already supports 24 primary school academies across Cornwall. It will open in September next year.
Alastair Martin, Secretary of the Duchy of Cornwall, said: “The new school marks a significant milestone and we are delighted that His Royal Highness was able to join us to unveil its name. Providing local facilities early in the development of Nansledan is vital to creating a sustainable community, and with the 150th house sale just completed we very much look forward to work starting on the school and seeing the first pupils enrol.”
Andrew Fielder, Chief Executive of the Aspire Academy Trust, said: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity to create an outstanding school from day one. We are taking the sustainable ethos of Nansledan to inform and shape the school curriculum in a way that not only complements the surrounding development but reinforces what Nansledan has to say about how we lead our lives. The Duchy has demonstrated how to do things differently at Nansledan and that resonates with our own mission to innovate and create a world class centre of excellence for primary school education here in Cornwall.”
Mr Fielder said the school’s sports, IT and other facilities would be available to the local community out of school hours, including for adult learning.
The new school is being welcomed by the Nansledan community. Theresa Ferguson, chair of the recently formed Nansledan Community Association, said: “We already have many families living at Nansledan and the school will be a great asset for the community. With new shops and offices also being occupied soon, and plans for a Methodist Centre already approved, there’s a real feeling of excitement.”
Skol Nansledan will occupy a 4.7 hectare site off Quintrell Road in the southern Nansledan quarter of Chapelkenrhwili, next to an avenue of 60 sycamore trees planted to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and the proposed Park an Chapel community park.
Andy McAdam, Somerset; Devon and Cornwall Director for Midas Construction, who also built the Great Cornish Food Store and Waitrose on Duchy-owned land at Truro, said: “This will be a landmark building on the southern approach to Nansledan and we are looking forward to commencing on site. As a regional contractor we employ local people who work alongside our local supply chain to retain as much benefit from the build as possible in the area.”
Nansledan is being built on mainly Duchy-owned land to the east of Newquay and will eventually comprise some 4,000 new homes mixed with retail, offices, workshops, greenspace and a range of community facilities.
Nansledan embodies the principles of architecture and urban planning championed by The Duke of Cornwall and incudes a series of walkable neighbourhoods where people can meet most of their daily needs on foot. Walking and cycling to the new school will be encouraged, and it will be just 10 minutes’ walk from more than half of Nansledan, and just 20 minutes by foot from the whole of the development.
The school was designed by Francis Robert Architects and Alan Leather Associates in the Arts and Crafts style. It will have a hall as the main focal point at the centre of the building, flanked by classroom wings at either end. Cornish granite and slate will be used throughout the school grounds.
As part of wider plans for Nansledan to promote local food production, the grounds will include an orchard and allotments to teach children about where their food comes from.
Outside there will be two all-weather sports pitches suitable for netball, hockey, tennis, basketball, and football, plus a larger full-sized grass sports pitch for rugby and football. There will also be outdoor play and teaching areas, including new habitats to promote a variety of wildlife.
Nansledan is being built by consortium of South West building companies including Wainhomes, CG Fry & Son and Morrish Builders.
Working with a consortium for the 40-years plus duration of the build will ensure consistency of quality and help establish longevity with local supply chains, creating opportunities for apprentices, skills development and the employment of local people.
To find out more about Skol Nansledan click here.
Picture credit: Charles Sainsbury-Plaice
