Nottingham City Council has applied for planning permission to replace the existing Southwark infant and nursery school in Bulwell with a new exemplar primary school and nursery.

The new building will provide facilities which are both at the leading edge of 21st Century educational design and sustainable. The building has been sympathetically designed as an iconic environmentally-friendly educational facility at the heart of the local community.

The primary school will cater for 630 children aged 5 to 11 and the nursery will cater for 90 children aged 3 to 5. The design reflects the City Council’s ambition provide a rounded education for all pupils and to raise expectations and achievements. Southwark Primary aspires to be more than just a school by opening its facilities and resources as much as possible to the whole community.

Councillor Mohammed Ibrahim, Executive Assistant for the Children’s Services portfolio, said: “The designs have been welcomed by parents, staff and children at the existing school and by members of the public at consultation meetings during the design development. While there will be some disruption during construction, the final building will enhance the surrounding neighbourhood and the education opportunities for the whole school community.”

The new Southwark Primary School will be built by the Local Education Partnership (LEP) which has been procured through the Nottingham City Council’s Building Schools for the Future programme. Construction work is due to begin in January 2009 and the new school is due to open in March 2010.