Teddington School Gets Go-ahead

BDP's scheme for Teddington School was given the go-ahead for the complete re-build of the school. Members of the committee voted unanimously in favour of the £25m (construction cost) scheme.

Planning consent comes at the end of a two year process of intense consultation with the school and stakeholders and where those involved have worked extremely hard to develop the very best educational design possible for current and future generations of young people.

The school, located on the banks of the River Thames opposite Trowlock Island, has been selected as one of the first One-School for the Future Pathfinders and will be the exemplar project for future schools in the London Borough of Richmond. The aim is to celebrate the visual arts specialism of the school and to re-integrate the students with their invigorating riverside environment. The school will be an exploration of new ways of learning and creates a "learning village around a social square."

The new school features enhanced outdoor informal play and learning, plus sports facilities available to the local community outside teaching hours. These include two sports pitches adjacent to the school, enabling the necessary range of sporting activity which the school strongly promotes, and a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) on the recreation ground.

The Head of Teddington School, Richard Weeks described the design as "truly outstanding" and speaking about the rebuild, Cllr Stephen Knight, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources on Richmond Council, said: "It will deliver a state-of-the-art building providing superb facilities for nearly 1,200 pupils, as well as one of the most sustainable schools anywhere in the country." Work is due to start on the 10,000m2 school this spring with pupils expected to move into the new building in early 2010.

BDP is architect, civil & structural engineer, building services engineer, lighting and acoustics consultant, interior and FF&E designer and landscape architect. The QS is David Langdon.