The expansion of Burlington Junior School in New Maldon, funded by The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, has opened. Designed by TPM Studio and built by Morgan Sindall Construction, the scheme has delivered major upgrades that have increased the school’s capacity from 480 to 600 pupils and provided new, high-end educational facilities.
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 It has now been replaced by a new, three-storey, 2,800 sq m building comprising classrooms and other teaching, learning, administrative spaces and a Sports Hall with associated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.