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In 2003, Cheshire County Council began planning Kingsmead Primary School as a model of sustainable construction.
We are proud to be the first school in Cheshire to have been designed and built around an ethos of sustainability and consideration for the environment.
The school, which opened in 2004 to serve a new housing development, is a curved, wooden north-facing arc. It has:
It also has winter gardens - unheated buffer zones between classrooms and playground, used for wet play and to minimise heat loss.
The building was designed to run as naturally as possible. It's vented using photovoltaics. There are solar panels, rainwater collection systems for flushing toilets, and a bio-mass boiler heating system.
The building is so intelligent it can close windows when it rains... and draw blinds against the glare of the sun.
Times Educational Supplement, 9/11/2004
Most classrooms don't need any electric lighting as glazing on the north wall and southern sky lights keep rooms full of natural daylight.
Unsurprisingly, Kingsmead quickly gained a silver award from Eco-Schools.
Environmental education is part of the curriculum - the workings of the building are on view, and incorporated into history lessons and science lessons. Laptops in the classroom show how conditions are being maintained and rainwater trickles through transparent pipes in the corridor.
The school is now developing a wildlife pond, for use as an outdoor classroom.
We ask all families to walk or cycle to school.
Catriona Stewart, Head teacher
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