A new primary school is set to open in Sugar House Island, just a short walk south of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, having secured planning permission yesterday (Tuesday 17 March) from London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).
Planning permission has been granted for a two-form entry school offering a capacity of 420 school places, to be operated by the Big Education Trust, which is welcome news for families in east London, where there is high demand for schools.
The school is to be built as the next phase of Sugar House Island – a new, mixed-use development, that has been carefully curated by real estate developer Vastint UK.
The School will offer high quality teaching in a welcoming environment, with a roof top play space, musical walk play area, green outdoor classroom and a Forest School for outdoor teaching. All facilities are designed to encourage a holistic learning of the head, heart and hand of young people.
Big Education Trust also operates the nearby School 21, which currently has a school in Pitchford Street, Stratford, for four to 18-year-olds and is rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
With a unique, innovative approach to teaching, School 21’s founders have developed a series of pedagogies and approaches to give students the chance to find their voice, develop deep knowledge and understanding, and create work that has value beyond the classroom.
Andrew Cobden, MD of Vastint UK, said: “We’re immensely pleased that LLDC has approved this application and that School 21, renowned for its high-quality teaching, will be joining Sugar House Island. The new school will be another strong driver for families to settle in new homes coming shortly on Sugar House Island. The school will be an integral part of the community as its facilities will be available for use on a regular basis.
“With 1,200 new homes in Sugar House Island, 40% of which have three or more bedrooms, we expect an increase in the number of children living in the local area, the new primary school will provide an educational environment that is both inspiring and uplifting for their children.
Peter Hyman, co-founder of School 21 and co-director of The Big Education Trust, said: “We are delighted to be part of such an exciting project. The new primary school will be about educating the whole child – head, heart and hand – and will draw on the expertise of the amazing creative partners who are being attracted to the site.”
Bounded by water, Sugar House Island is a truly balanced mixed-use development that is both characterful and connected to its history and local context.
Just 10 minutes’ walk from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, the distinctive urban environment will be home to new riverside homes, offices, restaurants and bars, shops and amenities – creating a welcoming and inclusive community.
As a people-centred neighbourhood, Vastint UK’s concept for Sugar House Island is to ensure activity thrives at ground level, achieved by creating a healthy balance of residents and people working in the 624,000 sq. ft of offices. This will create a thriving and sustainable community that invites creativity, collaboration and wellbeing and is one of the reasons Sugar House Island won the NLA Award for best masterplan in 2019.
New, riverside paths mean walking and cycling routes will take priority over cars and create a gentle pace of life, surrounded by waterside close to the centre of the city.
The site has a rich heritage, formerly used for print and gin production before it was used as a sugar refinery. This led to the construction of The Sugar House – a spectacular, brick warehouse that has been retained and given three modern extensions to provide old and new workspaces at ground level and loft style homes above.
Building work on the school is set to commence in April 2020 and predicted to be complete by July 2021, ready to welcome pupils in September 2021.
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Andrew Cobden, Managing Director of Vastint UK, is available for further comment or interviews.
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About Vastint UK
Vastint UK is a real estate organisation that creates large-scale, mixed-use neighbourhoods balancing working, living and leisure spaces.
All developments are designed to complement and add long-term value to local communities.
Established in 2010, Vastint UK has schemes in London (Sugar House Island), Leeds (Aire Park and Cardiff (along the Embankment).
Vastint UK is part of the international real estate organisation, Vastint, which has more than 25 years of experience developing and managing properties and commercial real estate. Vastint is active across Europe including in 14 different countries.
For more information, visit www.vastint.eu/uk/ or www.twitter.com/vastintuk.
