Millside Spencer Academy
Addressing local pressures and concerns on supporting infrastructure and educational demands, Nottinghamshire County Council commissioned Arc Partnership to design and deliver a new primary school that would support the community’s growth through the provision of modern and sustainable learning facilities.
Working closely with housing developers Persimmon Homes and David Wilson Homes through Section 106 agreements, a site on former farmland within the heart of the new housing development was identified for the creation of a 1.5 Form Entry primary school.
The £14.5m scheme was designed, cost-managed and project managed by Arc Partnership and delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction.
With the rapid housing development driving demand for additional school places, the new primary school forms part of the £14m investment in education in East Leake by Nottinghamshire County Council.
The project represents the third school Arc Partnership have delivered in partnership with Morgan Sindall Construction for Nottinghamshire County Council since 2021, following the successful completion of Bingham Primary School and Rosecliffe Spencer Academy.
To meet a commitment to open the school a year earlier than completion, a Temporary Learning Village was installed to accommodate 63 local children for the first academic year. Once the construction on the new school building was complete, the temporary classrooms were relocated to another site, supporting Arc Partnership’s sustainable approach to construction, and allowing for the creation of the school's sports field and outdoor play areas.
Delivering the temporary facilities required the creation of a temporary access route across public land which presented logistical issues. Arc Partnership and Morgan Sindall Construction worked collaboratively to develop an innovative engineering solution that ensured safe and efficient site access.
Building on former farmland also presented a series of technical challenges. The site was divided under Section 106 agreements with land contributions from Persimmon Homes and David Wilson Homes. A public right of way ran through the middle of the site, with an additional three-metre corridor where services could not be located. Careful and effective design coordination and engineering ensured that the new school functioned effectively while maintaining accessibility and operational efficiency. The site is split with the main school building and car park area to the South of the site, and the school's playing field and woodland accessed via a secure path that meanders down, utilising the public right of way.
The natural site gradient required significant groundworks to create a level platform for the new building. Through innovative earthworks and engineering, the team successfully prepared and plateaued the site, ensuring the school’s design integrated seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and maintained cost efficiency throughout construction.
Millside Spencer Academy provides more than 300 much-needed school places for the local community.
Designed and constructed using modern, efficient building methods that support long-term sustainability, Building Information Modelling (BIM) was utilised throughout the design and delivery stages. This enabled coordinated and clash-detected 3D models, providing design accuracy, greater programme certainty and contributed to an on-time handover.
Vibro-piling foundations minimised use of concrete and embodied carbon, and additionally SFS (steel framing systems) reduced onsite waste and improved efficiency. The building is clad in high-performing insulated render and brick cladding with a durable metal roof, reflecting the characteristics of the surrounding residential development while providing a contemporary and robust educational setting. This approach delivers excellent thermal performance and supports the school’s energy-efficient ambition.
Designed with children at its heart, the new two storey, 315-place (1.5FE) primary school and 26-place nursery provides a welcoming and intuitive layout that supports optimal learning and movement throughout the day. Classrooms and shared spaces are arranged to maximise natural light, encourage interaction, and create a calm, engaging environment for pupils and staff. The building also includes a hall, kitchen, and associated ancillary facilities and is fully accessible throughout with a lift and hygiene suite, supporting inclusive education.
Air source heat pumps provide efficient heating and cooling, while natural and passive ventilation systems support a comfortable internal environment, promoting optimal conditions for learning. The addition of clerestory glazing and roof lights on the upper floor bring natural daylight into the building’s interior, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and creating bright, well-balanced spaces that enhance concentration, wellbeing, and the overall learning experience. LED lighting with absence and presence detectors further support the school's energy efficiency and helps reduce operational costs.
Externally, the landscape design creates a variety of engaging outdoor environments, including hard-surfaced play areas, sports fields, and a dedicated forest school area within the adjacent woodland. These spaces support both structured and informal learning, encouraging exploration, physical activity, and a strong connection to nature to support the Trust’s forest school ethos. The site also includes staff and visitor parking, EV charging points, cycle shelters, footpaths, and access paths to support sustainable travel and accessibility.
Utilising Morgan Sindall’s in-house digital carbon reduction tool CarboniCa, the project team worked with Arc Partnership to identify opportunities to reduce embodied carbon. One key example was the use of a low-carbon fly ash-based cement, manufactured using waste material, which helped save 117 tonnes of carbon, the equivalent of the carbon emissions of 43.3 homes heated annually.
Additionally, the project exceeded targets for local spend and social value, delivering:
- 54% local labour and local spend achieved within a 20-mile radius during delivery
- 99% SME spend, with approximately £50,000 spent with social enterprises
- 100% fair payment rate of the supply chain, meaning that all subcontractors were paid within 15 days
- 113 volunteering hours
- 126 apprenticeship weeks
Arc Partnership and Morgan Sindall also supported skills and community initiatives, hosting site visits and guest lectures for undergraduates from Nottingham Trent University. Employment opportunities were also created for Ukrainian refugees through Radiant Cleaners, a social enterprise and Real Living Wage employer providing jobs for disadvantaged adults.
Through this activity, the project achieved a social value return of 29.5%, ensuring more than £4million of the project spend was reinvested within the local area.
The result is a thoughtfully designed, high-quality learning environment that responds to the needs of a growing community while supporting sustainable, modern education.
