First day celebrations at new Peterborough school

Construction of Hampton Lakes Primary School was recently completed and Monday marked the first day for pupils, teachers and staff in the brand new building.

Due to Covid-19 safety measures, a low-key opening ceremony took place to mark the completion of the project, which has been a major educational priority for Peterborough City Council as the city continues to experience a rising population.

Zoe Trigg, Head of School, said: “It feels fantastic to finally be in our new school building. The whole Hampton Lakes team is thrilled and looking forward to an exciting future in our new home.”

The free school is a joint venture between Peterborough City Council, the Hampton Academies Trust and the Department for Education. Located to the east of the A15, it was originally due to be built by Carillion, but following the collapse of the company in 2018, the council appointed Interserve Group Limited for the project. Construction got under way in Spring 2019, but was then delayed following the outbreak of Covid 19 earlier this year.

Despite these challenges, the new school has opened only slightly behind schedule, providing spaces for 420 children living in the Hampton area along with 26 nursery places.

The school had opened back in September 2019, with pupils temporarily accommodated at Hampton College Primary School while the new building was constructed. As a result, two reception classes and a year 1 class have transferred from the temporary accommodation into the new building today.

Councillor Lynne Ayres, Peterborough City Council’s cabinet member for education, said: “As one of the fastest growing cities in the country, the need to create extra school spaces is an urgent one and we are actively working to address this. This project has faced a number of challenges but I’m delighted to see the new school completed. It will be a real asset for the Hampton community for years to come.”

Helen Price, executive head teacher of Hampton Academies Trust, said: “It feels fantastic to be in our new building and I would like to thank Interserve, Peterborough City Council and the Department for Education for delivering a state-of-the-art primary school building.”

Simon Butler, Divisional Director at Interserve Construction, said: “We are delighted to have played our part in delivering this new primary school for the local community. The new school represents a significant investment in the local area and illustrates Interserve Construction’s strong track record in delivering education projects across the UK.”