Construction has begun on a new primary school that will serve west Loughborough, with the project intended to ease pressure on local school places as housing in the area expands. The facility, to be called Garendon Primary School, is being delivered by national contractor Willmott Dixon on behalf of Leicestershire County Council.
What is being built and where
The site is a greenfield plot within the Garendon Park housing development, located between the settlements of Dishley and Hathern. The school will be a two-form entry primary providing up to 420 pupil places. Work on the building is scheduled to complete in July 2027, ahead of an anticipated opening to pupils in September 2027.
Costs, procurement and design
The contract value for the new school is reported as £11.8m. The scheme was procured through the Major Works Framework managed by Pagabo, and follows a standardised design developed specifically for Leicestershire County Council. The approach is intended to reduce design time, lower costs and limit waste by repeating and refining a proven model across multiple projects.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Places | 420 |
| Entry | Two-form |
| Construction complete | July 2027 |
| School opens | September 2027 |
| Contract value | £11.8m |
Sustainability and building features
Willmott Dixon has emphasised energy efficiency in the design. The building will include a 300m² photovoltaic array on the roof and materials and construction quality targets aligned with current building regulations to reduce running costs and environmental impact.
Local impact and council aims
The new school is a direct response to increased demand for accessible, good-quality primary places driven by recent housing growth in the Garendon Park development. Leicestershire County Council has said the facility will help meet the needs of the expanding local population and support communities in west Loughborough.
“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,”
The comment, made by a director at Willmott Dixon, underlines the contractor’s long-standing relationship with the county council on education and regeneration projects.
- Garendon Primary will provide 420 primary places from September 2027.
- The project value is £11.8m and completion is scheduled for July 2027.
- Sustainability measures include a 300m² solar PV array and standardised design to cut costs and waste.
For Loughborough residents, the new school will alter the education landscape on the town’s western edge: it should relieve pressure on nearby schools, influence catchment arrangements and become a focus for the growing Garendon Park community. As construction progresses, local accountability will rest with the county council to ensure the project meets its promised timelines and delivers the pupil places and facilities residents expect.
