Bishop of Colchester blesses new building at Lawford Church of England Primary School - Barnes Construction

LAWFORD ESSEX: Area Bishop of Colchester, the Right Reverend Roger Morris, visited Lawford Church of England Primary School today, to bless and officially open its new extension.

Commissioned by Essex County Council, Barnes Construction built the new two-storey classroom block which has enabled the school to double its pupil capacity by 210 to 420.

Now construction is complete, there are an additional eight classrooms, a library, as well as several offices and specialist practical areas. The school also has a new outside Multi-Use Games Area.

The bishop gathered with headteacher Abbie Fairbairn, school governors, members of the school council and the construction team, at the new school entrance. He then took time to take a tour of the school, blessing the rooms, meeting the children and joining with them in collective worship.

Ms Fairbairn is delighted with the result and said: “This extension to our school offers our pupils new facilities, including a technical classroom and a studio, in a wonderfully spacious environment for learning.

“I am grateful to the team from Essex County Council, especially Christina Halls, who has led the project and ensured that the building is fit for education into the future. We are delighted that as our Church of England school expands, Bishop Roger has been able to join with us today to bless the building and lead our school community in collective worship. It has truly been a day that everyone will remember.”

Mark Bailey, Director for Barnes Construction said: “We are delighted to have played a part in providing much needed extra school places for the young people in Lawford.”

With sustainability in mind, the new classroom block has been built using modern methods of construction. The timber roof cassettes, SIPS (Structurally Insulated Panels System) and precast concrete floors and stairs were all manufactured offsite before being delivered to site complete for erection.

Concertus Design and Property Consultants were appointed by Barnes as the architect, structural engineer, and M&E consultant for the scheme, and Pick Everard was the client’s project manager and quantity surveyor.