Amanda Marlow, Mayor of Milton Keynes, secured the final bolt to complete the steel frame on MK’s new eco-friendly school.
The 'Golden Bolt' has been secured at Watling Primary, the new school in Whitehouse, opening in September 2023. The school will provide 630 much needed primary school places in the Western Expansion Area.
Joining the Mayor were John Cove and Ian Joyce, the Chair and CEO of the Denbigh Alliance Trust which will run Watling Primary School.
Watling Primary is the third school in the Trust’s family of schools, alongside Denbigh School and Watling Academy. Also present at the Ceremony was Councillor Zoe Nolan, the MKC Cabinet Member with responsibility for Children and Families.
MK Council are leading the construction of the new school which is designed to be eco-friendly capturing natural light and having intelligent controls that react to the weather to conserve energy.
Solar panels and air source heat pumps will reduce the use of fossil fuels and save on energy bills, something that is so crucial to schools in the current climate.
John Cove, Chair of the Denbigh Alliance Trust expressed his thanks to the Mayor and MK Council for their on-going support with the construction of this state-of-the-art educational facility. He said: "We are delighted that the building project is on-time, and we are excited to welcome our first cohort of students next September."
Ian Joyce, CEO of the Trust said: "We were so pleased to see the steel frame for our new school in place as it gives a real sense of the scale of the building which is such an exciting addition to the Denbigh Alliance Trust’s community.
"The Trust will bring all its experience of running outstanding schools in Milton Keynes to ensure that Watling Primary and its students thrive. The new school will operate in line with the ethos and vision of the schools already in the Trust, which is to provide outstanding Care, Education and Opportunity to all its students and staff."
