Ground-breaking ceremony for construction of new Barton Park primary school

The construction of a new state-of-the-art primary school and nursery at Barton Park was officially launched at a ground-breaking ceremony on Wednesday 02 October.

Pictured from left to right at the ceremony:

• Glynis Phillips, County Councillor for Barton, Sandhills and Risinghurst

• Alex Robinson, director of development, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland

• Jolie Kirby, CEO of Community Schools Alliance Trust

• Councillor Mike Rowley, Oxford City Council Cabinet Member for Affordable Housing and Barton ward councillor

• Sue Holden – Barton Community Association

• Andrew Bossons Bowmer & Kirkland Contracts Manager

Scheduled to open in September 2020, the mixed gender primary school will be for students aged 3 to 11 years and will be run by Community Schools Alliance Trust.

The new school will be joining and contributing to the Trust’s current family of schools in Oxford City, Cheney School as the main secondary school for Barton Park primary school and its sister school Bayards Hill primary school.

There will be a specially resourced provision (SRP) for children with special educational needs. The school will also accommodate a community hub, providing bookable rooms for use by local people during and outside of school hours.

In total, 360 new places will be provided; 45 nursery places and 315 school places, made up of 45 places for each year group from Reception to Year Six.

On opening, the school will offer places in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 and 2. Those interested in finding out more about the school and how to apply should go to: https://bartonpark.csat.academy/

The school is being delivered by Oxfordshire County Council as part of the wider Barton Park development by Barton Oxford LLP, a joint venture between Oxford City Council and leading private developer Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. In total, 885 homes are being built at the site and the new school will serve new and existing residents in Barton.

Barton Park primary school will benefit from general and specialist teaching facilities, a sports hall, studio space for dance and other classes, catering facilities, as well as outdoor areas to provide teaching and play space for pupils during the day and facilities for the local community during evenings and at weekends.

A Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and car park have already been completed by Barton Oxford LLP. The MUGA will be a shared facility for the school and the community. The school will also be offering its sport pitch for community use. This focus on active lifestyles reflects Barton Park’s role as one of the most advanced demonstrator sites for the NHS Healthy New Towns programme, set up to explore how new settlements can address major healthcare challenges.

Jolie Kirby, CEO of Community Schools Alliance Trust, said: “This will be a once in a life time opportunity for local families to be partners in our new school.

“We are delighted that the plans for the quality and detail of the building match the high expectations we have for our new school community. This has only been possible through the skill, support and guidance of our main partners in this project including Barton Oxford LLP, Oxfordshire County Council and Bowmer and Kirkland.

“We look forward to welcoming our first pupils to the school in September 2020.”

Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for education, said: “Barton Park is a growing community and there has been careful planning to ensure the new school will meet educational needs of the community’s children and offer shared facilities to benefit all residents.

“The County Council is proud of its commitment to get children into their parents’ first choice of school.”

Glynis Phillips, County Councillor for Barton, Sandhills and Risinghurst, said: “I am really pleased to see the beginning of this new school building in Barton Park.

“Work has started with the existing community to get the maximum benefit from the community hub for the whole Barton community. We look forward to welcoming our first children here in September 2020.”

Councillor Mike Rowley, Oxford City Council Cabinet Member for Affordable Housing and Barton ward councillor, said: “We’re delighted to see work starting on this new school that will meet the needs of a growing population in Barton. The Barton development that we’re delivering with Grosvenor will add 885 new homes, 40% of which will be social housing.

“This new development in Barton is helping us meet the urgent need for new homes in Oxford, and it’s important that we build the community as well as homes. The new school will be an integral part of the community, not only for the families with children at the school but also through its shared facilities.”

Adrian Grocock, Managing Director of the building contractor Bowmer & Kirkland, said: “Bowmer & Kirkland are delighted to be appointed Principal Contractor on the Barton Park Primary School project for Oxfordshire County Council, where throughout the pre-construction phase we have worked together in a collaborative environment with all parties in order to enable construction works to now commence on site.

“We are looking forward to working both with Oxfordshire County Council and their advisors throughout the construction phase of the project to provide new quality educational facilities for the local area that we can all be proud of.”

Barton Community Association said: “Barton Community Association looks forward to working with everyone connected to the new school and forming a partnership that will bring benefit to our children and young people as well as the wider community.”