10/11/2011 - Oak Meadow Primary School opens

Pupils, staff and governors of Oak Meadow Primary School turned out in force to mark the opening of their new £7 million accommodation.

Wolverhampton Mayor Councillor Bert Turner cut the ribbon to declare the school, in Ashmore Park, officially open.

The event marked the completion of Oak Meadow’s state-of-the-art facilities, which have been developed by Midlands-based Thomas Vale Construction as part of Wolverhampton City Council’s £16.6m Primary Capital Programme, which is transforming educational facilities for primary age pupils in the city.

The new building will accommodate up to 420 pupils and is one of the first schools in the country to be built to ‘Passivhaus’ standards, meaning it has been designed to use up to 90% less energy to heat and cool it compared to standard buildings.

Richard Green, Divisional Director, Thomas Vale Construction commented: ‘We are very proud to have completed another outstanding school for Wolverhampton City Council. The design team at Architype and our dedicated supply chains partners have worked together for the past 5 years in order to achieve not only a Passivhaus standard school building, but an improved learning environment for pupils and staff who will be able to enjoy these facilities for many years to come.’

Oak Meadow’s new school hall has been designed so that it can be easily transformed into a performance area with state-of-the-art sound and lighting facilities.

It has received state-of-the-art ICT facilities, with digital displays in the entrance and learning areas enabling pupils to share their work, while the school is also planning to launch its own radio station to enable parents to keep up-to-date with pupils’ activities.

Pupils have designed the engravings which feature on the natural wood on show in the school, while the main staircase featured artwork created by the youngsters.

Councillor Phil Page, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Learning, said: “I am delighted with the new school building; pupils at Oak Meadow now have wonderful learning environments that will inspire the young people at the school to go on and achieve great things in their education.

“Thomas Vale Construction worked with our architects, Architype, on this and Bushbury Hill Primary School, which is also undergoing a major transformation, and previously worked with us on the award-winning St Luke’s Primary School in Blakenhall. I hope that they have created another award-winning school for the young people in Wednesfield.”

Oak Meadow’s old building, which was erected in the 1960s, will now be demolished and the land re-developed as playing fields.