Work has started on a new primary school intended to relieve growing demand for pupil places in west Loughborough. Willmott Dixon has started on site at the Garendon Primary School development, commissioned by Leicestershire County Council, with the building due to open to pupils in September 2027.
Why the school is being built
The school will provide 420 places as a two-form entry facility on a greenfield plot sandwiched between Dishley and Hathern in the Garendon Park housing development. Local authorities say the expansion of housing in the area has driven the need for more school capacity.
Design, cost and sustainability
The project has been procured through the Major Works Framework overseen by Pagabo. Willmott Dixon is using a repeatable, standardised school design developed specifically for Leicestershire to reduce time, cost and material waste across successive schemes.
- Planned capacity: 420 pupils
- Construction cost: £11.8 million
- Completion (construction): July 2027
- Opening to pupils: September 2027
- Sustainability feature: 300m2 photovoltaic roof array
The contractor says the building will be specified with attention to materials and quality targets that align with current building regulations to maximise energy and cost efficiency.
“We’re proud to be part of creating another high-quality learning environment for the Leicestershire community and driving forward the delivery of another sustainably-focused school,”
— Nick Heath, director at Willmott Dixon, highlighted the company’s long-standing relationship with the county council and the benefits of a repeatable design approach.
Timeline and local impact
Construction is scheduled to finish in July 2027, ahead of the intake of pupils that autumn. The accompanying increase in school places is designed to match the pace of housing growth in Garendon Park and surrounding neighbourhoods, helping the county council manage school admissions and reduce pressure on nearby schools.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 420 places (two-form entry) |
| Contractor | Willmott Dixon |
| Cost | £11.8m |
| Photovoltaic array | 300m2 |
| Opening | September 2027 |
For parents and residents, the new school should offer nearer places for primary-aged children and reduce the need for lengthy travel to alternative schools. The county council has previously identified the supply of accessible, good-quality school places as a priority as Leicestershire’s population and housing stock grow.
Questions that will now follow include how admissions for the new school will be handled, how catchment boundaries will be drawn and whether the additional capacity will remove or merely delay admission pressures elsewhere in the county. The council will be expected to publish details on those operational arrangements closer to the opening date.
Work on the site marks one of a number of recent education infrastructure investments across Leicestershire intended to match school provision to changing local demographics and new housing developments.
