12/09/2011 - New beginning for Tipton Green Junior School

Thomas Vale Construction and Tipton Green Junior School recently celebrated the completion of their new school. The £5million project which began in June last year was built on behalf of Sandwell Council.

The new £5 million school was erected in partnership with Sandwell Council and Tipton Green Junior School, in order to provide better education facilities and create a better working environment for the staff and pupils. The new junior school boasts 12 new classrooms along with 2 assembly halls which were designed and constructed as part of the first phase of the project. This will provide a more pleasant learning space for the students, and has enabled the implement of new facilities such as IT ‘teacher walls’.

Richard Green, Director at Thomas Vale Construction commented:

“We are thrilled to have been part of this exciting project and proud to have been able to provide the students, staff and local community with a new state of the art school. It is great to know we are providing a facility that is a valued investment and will benefit so many people, particularly the younger generation.”

The school will also feature extensive external works such as a playground area and a nature trail which are to be constructed as part of phase 2 of the project.

The new school has been built with the aim to achieve an ‘excellent’ BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating. As part of its efforts to achieve BREEAM Excellence and reduce CO2 levels, the building has been fitted with features such as solar panelling, automatic lighting, heat absorbing flooring and a bio mass boiler which recycles biological materials to provide heating and hot water. The two storey building has also been fitted with triple glazing to significantly reduce heat loss.

Councillor Bob Badham, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for children & families, said:

"This is another fine example of providing a modern, up-to-date school that will benefit our children, school staff, parents and the wider community for generations to come. Everyone at the school will be looking forward to moving into their new building and these new surroundings will be an added motivation to learn."