We were appointed by Warrington Borough Council to design a new three-form entry primary school providing 630 places. The existing school buildings were occupying a restricted and cramped site and in poor condition.

Our approach was to provide a dynamic and modern building that was welcoming and inspirational to young pupils. We designed a recognisable identity with a use of colour to create an exciting environment for the students; a theme that was continued throughout the interior of the building. An important part of the design development involved workshops with the students and staff whose ideas were fed into the final design.  We developed group tasks for pupils and staff; this meant we were able to interact with pupils from each key stage and the broad staff body. By facilitating discussion about what was important to them,  in terms of site arrangement and what their priorities were in terms of adjacencies and classroom arrangement, this information formed a key part of the brief.