Located within the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, the project will transform a first-floor teaching space within the Grade I listed King William Court.

The building forms part of the Greenwich Hospital Scheduled Monument within the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wilson Mason is providing architecture, interiors, heritage, Building Regulations and CDM Principal Designer services on the project. The project will refurbish the university’s existing computer laboratories, which were originally fitted out around 2000 when the university first occupied the site.

After 25 years of intensive use, the facilities are being upgraded to support current and future teaching methods, improve capacity and enhance the student experience, while carefully preserving the building’s historic fabric.

Wilson Mason began work on the project with a feasibility study in September 2025 and has led the design through the early stages. The practice will now continue its involvement from Stage 4 onwards as part of the client design and monitoring team, with construction works due to commence in late May 2026 and completion scheduled for August 2026 ready for the start of the new academic year.

The scheme has required a highly sensitive approach in response to the heritage significance of the building, including no fixings into masonry and stonework, no new services penetrations through masonry and limited opportunities to disturb the historic floor construction.

Dominique Haslam, partner architect at Wilson Mason’s London office, said: “We feel enormously proud to be working with the University of Greenwich on this important refurbishment at King William Court. This is a project of real significance, not only because of the value it will bring to students and teaching staff, but also because of the extraordinary historic setting in which it sits.

“Our approach has been to develop a carefully considered, light-touch design that responds to the constraints of a Grade I-listed building and Scheduled Monument while creating contemporary, flexible and future-facing learning spaces. It has been a genuinely collaborative process with the university, Historic England and the wider consultant team, and we look forward to seeing the project progress on site.”

The design strategy for the project includes bespoke joinery interventions, carefully integrated servicing routes and multifunctional elements that support teaching, acoustics, lighting control and ventilation. The design also includes reinstatement of double sash window operation to support the natural ventilation of the space.

Sustainability has been addressed through the replacement of existing cooling units with more efficient contemporary systems, improved natural ventilation, the specification of materials with high recycled content and end-of-life recycling potential, as well as a modular approach that will allow future adaptation and reassembly.

Throughout the scheme, any newly introduced elements have been designed to perform multiple functions while minimising impact on the historic structure.

A programme of survey and opening-up works, undertaken with consent from Historic England, has helped the team better understand the construction of the building, existing service routes and opportunities for sensitive interventions. This collaborative approach has supported the progression of the design and the timely securing of Scheduled Monument Consent.

The wider consultant team on the project includes Maris Interiors as building contractor, Gardiner & Theobald as project manager and cost consultant, Hoare Lea as MEP, acoustics and AV consultant, and Price & Myers as structural engineer.

Appointed by the Department for Education, the £13.4m project will deliver a modern, two-storey teaching facility spanning 1,455m².

The scheme is being delivered across two phases. Phase one involved the installation of two temporary accommodation blocks, enabling pupils and staff to safely transfer from the existing teaching buildings, which contained Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). Morgan Sindall successfully completed this phase on 12 December 2025.

Phase two, which has now commenced on site, includes the demolition of the temporary accommodation blocks and the former teaching buildings, followed by the construction of the new permanent block.

Designed to enhance both learning and social interaction, the new facility will incorporate 10 modern classrooms, a new library, an ICT suite, a welcoming main reception, four new group rooms, a new kitchen, and hall. Phase two is on track to complete in summer 2027. Externally, the team will extend hard-landscaped playground areas and create a rain garden feature and canopies.

Procured through the Department for Education’s Construction Framework, the project is being delivered through a collaborative design approach with Morgan Sindall working closely with Lee Evans Partnership architects, Campbell Reith engineers, Lloyd Bore landscaping architects, and Hawdens MEPH.

The new teaching block will be constructed using a timber frame structure fabricated off-site, which offers reduced embodied carbon, faster programme delivery, and improved thermal performance compared to traditional construction methods.

In line with Morgan Sindall’s commitment to sustainability, the building will feature bio-solar roofing with extensive photovoltaic panels and will be powered by ground source heat pumps to maximise energy efficiency. The project team is also undertaking Morgan Sindall’s 10-tonne carbon challenge, which encourages collaboration across the supply chain to identify intelligent solutions that collectively reduce carbon emissions by at least 10 tonnes.

In addition, Morgan Sindall is working with the waste management consultancy, Encore Environment, to repurpose existing materials on site prior to demolition. Reclaimed bricks will be reused as feature detailing on the east-facing façade, while the CarboniCa tool will be utilised to calculate and analyse embodied carbon throughout both the design and construction phases.

Supporting the local community is a key priority for the project team. During phase one, Morgan Sindall provided work placement opportunities and plans to increase these during phase two. The team will also coordinate site visits with Birchington Primary School and partners at East Kent College, offering students valuable insight into careers within the construction industry.

The £15.4 billion national framework will drive the creation of modern, high-quality learning environments over the next eight years, funding both new sustainable buildings and the refurbishment of existing schools, academies, FE colleges, and community facilities. This investment will help create more energy-efficient, future-ready spaces for children nationwide.

Over the past 16 years, BAM has worked on a total of 139 projects for the DfE, representing a combined value of more than £2.75 billion. On the current framework, CF21, BAM is set to deliver at least 33 projects with a total value approaching £1.5billion. These high-quality education buildings, provide exceptional learning environments for children and young people, while cutting carbon and energy use to reduce long-term running costs for schools.

Recent projects delivered for the DfE include King Edward VI School in Birmingham, North Lindsey College in Scunthorpe and Orchard Academy in Kent. Other notable education projects in the BAM portfolio include Dunfermline Learning Campus, the largest Passivhaus education building in the world, and Lyde Green, the largest Passivhaus school in England.

While delivering these facilities, BAM has reinvested in local communities as part of its commitment to ‘Building a Sustainable Tomorrow’. This includes creating employment opportunities, apprenticeships, and work placements, as well as supporting the local community by donating leftover materials to community organisations. In 2024, BAM generated over £400,000,000 in social and local economic value across its entire portfolio. Through BAM’s long-standing work with the DfE, more than 230 apprenticeships and 130 T Level placements have been created.

The DfE has awarded places to 22 contractors under its new CF25 framework, where projects will range from £4.4m to £12m in the low-value band, and above £12m in the high-value band. BAM has been awarded places in the two high-value lots (North and South) covering all of England and focusing on education projects above £12m.

John Wilkinson, COO, BAM UK & Ireland, comments: “BAM’s commitment to ‘Building a Sustainable Tomorrow’ strongly aligns with the DfE’s vision of supporting excellent education and care outcomes through an estate that is safe, sustainable, suitable and appropriately sized. Our continued collaboration with the DfE builds on years of experience in the education environment and ensures the reliable delivery of consistently high-quality education buildings, that support a net-zero future while reducing long-term energy and operating costs. We are proud to provide facilities that allow children to flourish and grow, and we value the opportunity to continue to work in partnership with the DfE, a key client for BAM UK & Ireland.”

Burlington School is located on a constrained site with limited access. It comprises an infant school and junior school within the site, with the main works focussed on the junior school. This was largely because the junior school’s largest existing classroom block had reached the end of its design life. It has now been replaced by a new, three-storey, 2,800 sq m building comprising classrooms and other teaching, learning, administrative spaces and a Sports Hall with associated facilities. The design has been described by the local authority as “sympathetic, well-articulated, high quality and visually attractive”.

The project also included the refurbishment of the Victorian building, including additional rooms to enable the school to provide a fifth form of entry, two new Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs), including one for the Infant School, a new car park and landscaping, and the refurbishment and enlargement of the Infant School’s toilets. Sustainable materials and servicing were key to the construction, and Morgan Sindall also installed 72 photovoltaic (PV) panels across the site to support the project’s aims of achieving an Excellent BREEAM score.

Glen Moorley, Director at TPM Studio, said: “The new school provides modern and sustainable new facilities for the existing and future pupils of Burlington School. The design was shaped through extensive user and stakeholder engagement as well as a rigorous period of review of the multiple opportunities and constraints presented by the site. The end result is an exceptional new school building as well as enhanced facilities that will not just facilitate high educational attainment but also meet the increased demand for school places in the borough.”

Cllr Diane White, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services at Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, said: “Supporting children and young people to have the best possible start in life is a top priority for us at Kingston Council, and providing excellent facilities for that to take place is very important. This is an exciting time for the school and I hope that students and staff alike flourish in their new spaces.”

Richard Dobson, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in London, said: “It’s been a real privilege to work alongside the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, the Burlington Junior School team, and of course the wider Burlington community on this project. Creating a modern learning environment while the school remained open was a shared effort, and the cooperation of staff, pupils, and parents was key to its success.

“We’re beyond delighted to be able to celebrate such a bright, sustainable, and inspiring space that will benefit current pupils and future generations for many more years to come.”

The project was procured through the Southern Construction Framework (SCF). Planning Permission for the scheme was granted in February 2022, with construction works starting in late 2023 and completion in Q3 of 2025. The other project team members included Shockledge as structural engineer and Boon Brown as landscape architects.

Following a rigorous application process, GLT follows in the footsteps of global engineering giants to achieve this standard from EnCO, a not-for-profit joint initiative run by the Energy Services and Technology Association and supported by the Energy Institute.

The Trust also received a coveted award for demonstrating energy management and savings from people-led interventions and solutions at the recent EnCO Annual Conference, and its EnCO Organisation status is valid for three years.

The overall energy project has been headed up by GLT operations and finance teams and supported by Trustees, Headteachers and other staff for the past four years. Local energy management consultancy Reduce Your Use, led by accredited EnCO practitioner Wendy Cheeseman, has guided the Trust through the change programme which has generated significant energy cost savings, as well as carbon reduction across schools.

The GLT application and accompanying case study showed the Trust had followed the principles of behaviour change namely: engagement, alertness, skills, recognition and adaption as set out in the EnCO matrix. These were reviewed by expert Approved EnCo Practitioners, followed by an interview and panel discussion. The judges commented that “the Trust gave many examples of how these principles have been applied in practice and achieved energy efficiencies with impressive reductions”. John Mullholland, one of the EnCO Expert Panel Interviewers, added: “The application itself was to a very high standard in terms of the quality and quantity of supporting information.”

The submission highlighted how GLT leaders have written an extensive Sustainability Policy and aims to be net zero by 2050. Progress towards that trajectory is updated annually and the Trust is on track. Limited resources mean the Trust is exploring “no cost behaviour change initiatives” to bring down consumption. Through logging gas supplies and accessing 30-minute electricity data, investigation of out-of-hours consumption and full involvement of all stakeholders, the overall electricity at the Trust has remained static despite the move to electrical heating. Gas has reduced by 26% and carbon 21% from the base year. This is all attributed to using data to spot problems, investigate anomalies and dedicated monthly energy and carbon reporting to continuously measure and manage consumption. Water has also recently been included in line with the sustainability policy.

Amongst the school-based initiatives cited were moves to decarbonise heating at Elmhurst School which set the trajectory for reducing both energy and carbon, West Wycombe Primary School replacing oil heating with electrical heating from heat pumps, and Princes Risborough Primary School making substantial savings following the installation of gas loggers.

Sarah Baber, CEO of Great Learners Trust, commented: “This recognition from EnCo is so important to us. We are a trust of small primary schools but if we can do it then other schools can. This prestigious certification, and now our award, aligns with both our resource management and energy efficiency as well as the Trust’s sustainability policy. We are committed to educating all our pupils about the wider context of climate change and impacts of fossil fuel combustion and the role that behaviour change has to play in the fight to reduce climate change and our own pathway to net zero.”

At a time when action on climate change and carbon neutrality is gaining momentum, the EnCO initiative has a target to reduce energy consumption from behavioural changes of 10% by 2030. This will be achieved through a programme to train energy professionals around the world to support organisations to embrace this aspiration and cut consumption and resources and knowledge sharing through the EnCO Academy.

Sustainable construction firm, TG Escapes, designed and built the new building using modular construction methods. The Point was completed in just six months, allowing education to continue at The Oaks with minimal disruption, and is fully open to learners from Wednesday 12th November.

The single-storey, 435m2 building will be used by learners aged 18 to 25 with a variety of special educational needs and disabilities. It features four flexible learning spaces, including a workshop with specialist provision for those with physical disabilities (such as a riser kitchen, a track and hoist, and accessible self-care facilities), plus a media space where learners can practice skills like coding and film-making with specialist equipment adapted to their needs.

The Point is part of a £1.8m project to expand the special educational provision at The Oaks. After initial plans were approved in early 2025, work began in March and was completed in October.

This expansion also represents a major cost saving (£1m per year) for the local authority. Educating a learner with a physical disability at The Oaks costs around £42,000 a year, compared with an annual average of £141,750 for out-of-county placements, as per a feasibility report by Kent County Council. By increasing local capacity, The Oaks can support more young people with special educational needs and disabilities closer to home while helping local authorities ease the financial pressure of high-cost EHCP placements.

TG Escapes was chosen to design and build The Point because of their sustainable construction methods, biophilic design principles, and specialist experience in the education sector — an area in which the company recently won the Education Estates Award for Modular Provider of the Year.

The £19.5 million state-funded school will open in January 2027, offering up to 200 places for primary and secondary pupils, including those with moderate and additional learning difficulties (MALD). It will be built on council-owned land at Wheatridge East in Abbeydale, Gloucester, which has been earmarked for educational use.

With demand for SEND places continuing to rise, especially in Gloucester and Cheltenham, the project is a crucial part of the council’s strategy to provide local support for children who currently face long journeys out of county or to independent schools to have their needs met.

The announcement follows the government’s recent Spending Review, which pledged £700 million to reform the SEND system and £2.4 billion per year for school rebuilding –underscoring the importance of joined-up investment in both education and the environment.

Jeremy McDermott, Senior Estates Manager, Gloucestershire County Council said: “This school project will have such a positive impact for families in Gloucestershire by providing space for two hundred primary and secondary pupils to have their special educational needs met far closer to home. We’re really grateful to the team at Environment Bank for their support in helping make sure our project could meet its BNG planning conditions on time and we’d recommend them to other councils.”

Lloyd Collins, Strategic Account Director, Environment Bank said: “One of the key advantages of having a large network of active Habitat Banks is our ability to promptly provide high-quality Biodiversity Units to councils like Gloucestershire County Council for their public sector schemes. We are thrilled that our BNG solution will facilitate such an important project. A big thank you goes out to the council and EG Carter & Co. for collaborating with us.”

Aligning with net zero goals and restoring local nature

The new school has been designed in line with Gloucestershire County Council’s Climate Change Strategy, which aims to achieve net zero emissions from council operations by 2030. The building will strive for net zero operational emissions, ensuring that sustainability is embedded across both construction and long-term use.

Environment Bank provided local Biodiversity Units from its Martley Habitat Bank, located within the same Severn & Avon Vales National Character Area as the development site. The site is also home to diverse habitats such as orchards, hedgerows, and ponds – creating better connectivity across the landscape which features parcels of ancient woodland. With public footpaths crossing the Habitat Bank, residents will be able to experience the biodiversity benefits first-hand as the landscape flourishes over the next 30 years. These habitats will also support natural flood mitigation and soil health, contributing to wider ecosystem resilience in the region.

Located within the same landscape character area as the school site, it ensures that biodiversity gains are delivered locally, cost-effectively, and with long-term oversight under a conservation covenant.

Business manager Kym Morris was one of over 800 SMEs to register to receive advice on the series, Let’s Partner Up for Good. Legionella and Fire Safe Services delivers a range of water hygiene and fire safety critical building compliance services. The business is committed to minimising its impact on the environment by reducing its waste and carbon footprint.

She appears in the third episode of Let’s Partner Up for Good which focuses on sustainability. Discussions with Deborah Meaden and Nescafé business experts talk about several subjects under this banner including integrating sustainability into the organisation, reducing carbon footprint and responsible sourcing.

Deborah Meaden had this advice for the business: “Your language needs to define service excellence. It needs to add sustainability as part of its service excellence. So, my worry about sustainability is it is seen as a separate thing that is a bit of a pain in the neck when it is something we should all be embracing. It is the future of our planet. If you can say our better is that we have good service and care about the planet, then people will start seeing your service from a slightly different viewpoint, and they will take that into account. So, I think shouting about it, making sure your language talks about it in a very positive way. You are part of the solution; you are helping them be part of the solution. Just be clear that is a part of what you are offering, and that is what makes you different from other organisations.”

Kym Morris, business manager at Legionella and Fire Safe Services, said: “It was an incredible honour to be selected as one of the seven winners by Nestlé Professional to spend a day with their experts and Dragon Den’s Deborah Meaden. The advice we received was invaluable, and we were thrilled to get feedback not only from Deborah but also from Nescafé’s sustainability expert, Robin Sundaram, who congratulated LFS on our significant efforts in business sustainability.”

In total, seven small business owners are sharing their challenges on business growth, sustainability and wellbeing with Deborah and Nestlé Professional business experts in the 3-episode series.

The third episode can be viewed on the Let’s Partner Up for Good hub and YouTube from today:

Discover the benefits of business sustainability: https://youtu.be/mc59EuSGLUQ

Delivered by BAM UK & Ireland, the project represents a major investment in the future of education in mid-Cornwall, creating modern, future-ready facilities including a new sixth form centre that will reintroduce A-Levels to the area.

Rob Bosworth, Principal and CEO of the Cornwall College Group, said: “This redevelopment is a game-changer for St Austell. It’s not just about buildings – it’s about creating accessible spaces for people of all ages to access life-changing education and opportunities close to home. It’s about developing skills for the future and study academic subjects to fulfil their ambitions.”

BAM UK & Ireland is delivering the work through a carefully phased programme that keeps the campus operational while minimising disruption to students and staff. Once complete, the redeveloped campus will provide high-quality, future-focused learning environments that support local skills needs, raise aspirations and contribute to long-term economic growth across the region.

Matt Keen, Project Manager, BAM UK & Ireland, said: “As contractor for this landmark redevelopment, we’re working closely with the college to bring an ambitious vision to life. The result will be a vibrant, inclusive space for learners – built to inspire and built to last.”

The ground-breaking ceremony was led by MP for St Austell and Newquay, Noah Law, who praised the project’s vision and potential. “It’s truly inspiring to see this level of ambition and commitment to the future of education in our region, particularly at a time when the local skills need and opportunity is so great,” said the MP.

Students and senior staff from Mount Charles School, Poltair School and Penrice Academy also attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Mount Charles School student Ornella was amongst those who attended the event and shared her excitement for the opportunities the new development will offer.

“It’s just so nice how people can have a new place where there’s more opportunity, so people don’t have to go to other places, they can be local, they can choose different things, they can be anything they want to be. This college has so many opportunities. It’s just amazing. Maybe one day I’ll even come here. The future holds many secrets, but maybe I’ll be in the same spot, older and ready to learn.”

The survey found extremely strong support for net zero within schools, with 90% of estates managers who responded agreeing that net zero is a priority, a sentiment echoed by 78% of consultant engineers and contractors. 99% of the school estates managers surveyed reported having a net zero plan in place. Experience and satisfaction with low carbon heating systems within schools was also high, with 95% of school estates managers having replaced a fossil fuel boiler with a heat pump in their buildings previously. 97% of all school estates managers (87% of all respondents) viewed heat pump performance and operating costs favourably.

Despite the strong support for low carbon heating and net zero in schools, the study also uncovered significant challenges faced by respondents when opting to install a low carbon heating system. The most prominent was technical difficulty as a barrier to deployment. With 36% and 39% of school estates managers and consultant engineers and contractors respectively identifying the challenge, there may be a skills gap which can stall decarbonisation projects.

Both groups also agreed that additional electricity capacity needed for low carbon heating solutions was a challenge, with 36% of consultant engineers and contractors outlining this as a barrier to decarbonisation.

School estates managers identified other core challenges, including the financial and technical feasibility of school heating system changes, infrastructure requirements, and the length of project timelines as any major refurbishment projects are typically restricted to the fixed window of time of the summer holiday period.

Additionally, the UK’s electricity pricing is placing a persistent barrier in front of those at the forefront of decarbonising state schools.

The study did identify potential solutions in the form of hybrid heat pump systems and prefabricated packaged solutions.  Among Baxi survey respondents, hybrid heat pumps are a popular solution, with a slight preference for this technology over a standalone heat pump system.

80% of the consultant engineers and contractors surveyed would be likely to recommend a hybrid system, and support for hybrids among school estates managers increased with school size. This could be attributed to several factors, including costs, integration with existing hydronic systems, and the shorter installation timeframes required to install a hybrid solution versus converting to a standalone heat pump system.

However, grant support for hybrid heat pump solutions under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) is limited, despite strong backing for the technology.

Policy recommendations

Baxi is calling for four clear steps that we believe the Government must take to ramp up the decarbonisation of our state schools and remove barriers preventing the installation of hybrid heating systems within public buildings.

1. Include heating system upgrades for schools within existing public sector support schemes, utilising GB Energy to support
2. Include hybrid heating systems within existing support schemes
3. Address the imbalance in price between gas and electricity
4. Address the skills gap to help deliver clean energy projects.

Read the survey report here.