Key Features

The new building will offer enhanced building sustainability features, with the potential to achieve Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCiO) status. It will incorporate high standards of insulation and energy-efficient design, with the intention to utilise renewable energy technologies (such as ground and/or air source heat pumps and solar panels) to provide space and water heating capability.

Sidestrand Hall is not a listed building but is of historic interest and the western part of the site, including the Hall, lies within the Sidestrand Conservation Area. More recent additions to this building are proposed to be removed and the original building refurbished as part of the redevelopment proposals. An original garden wall and gate piers will also be retained and incorporated into the outside space adjacent to the Hall. The church of St Michael’s and All Angels to the south is Grade II listed and both the church and the adjacent house immediately south of the site access lie within the Conservation Area (though the eastern part of the school site is outside). Views towards the site from the south, with the church as the key architectural feature, are important in heritage terms. The siting of the new building, its height, visual relationship with the house and church and the extent to which landscape screening along the site boundary can be enhanced have all been factors that have been taken into account as part of the design process for the school redevelopment.

The proposed new school building has been designed to provide a mixture of facilities within a purpose-designed space. The current plans show that it would include the main school staff/administration areas, kitchen and dining room facilities, an activity studio and separate Primary and Secondary teaching spaces, including quiet/calm spaces, WCs/Hygiene room, therapy room and library facilities. Primary teaching areas would all be at ground floor level, with some of the Secondary classrooms at first floor level. Both staircase and lift access will be provided to facilitate access to the upper floor classrooms, with separate access points into the building for pupils and visitors.

Administration and visitor reception areas are clustered closest to the access road with ground floor classrooms and the activity studio opening onto areas of playground and landscaped open space designed to offer scope for learning to extend beyond the classroom. The removal of a number of buildings scattered across the site and the consolidation of teaching, administration and dining activities within a single replacement building with different functional zones will make it easier for staff to deliver all aspects of the school’s educational programme, as well as providing optimum storage, WC and other ancilliary spaces.

The proposed building is proposed to be of partly single storey and partly two storey construction, with a flat roof design to minimise its vertical height and the extent to which it will be visible from Cromer Road to the south. It is intended that the building will be clad in brick, with the colour of this facing material chosen to tone with the colour of the adjacent church and with nearby houses. Significant additional planting along the southern site boundary is also proposed to provide landscape screening of the building in key views from the south, and to provide a buffer between the school building and the adjacent house and church.

The creation of purpose-designed calm spaces for children requiring time away from the main classrooms will ensure that the requirements of pupils with autism and similar needs are fully met. The provision of attractive outdoor spaces directly outside the southern side of the building are also intended to provide opportunities for children to sit or learn beyond the confines of the building.

The proposed school will have advanced capacity for improved technology and power provision from sustainable sources. This will benefit classrooms but also provide enhanced security systems and improvements for the central administration team.

The kitchen is proposed to be located close to the access drive with a dedicated service area to enable deliveries to be made without disrupting the key teaching spaces within the school. The school dining room is proposed to be immediately adjacent to the new kitchen. Refuse collection would also take place from the proposed service area, well away from the classroom spaces within the building.

The existing southern playing field and adjacent play equipment are to be retained, with a new hard-surfaced play area (used as a taxi drop off zone at either end of the school day) proposed to the north of the new building. A new Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) is also proposed in this area. To the south of the building, with direct access from individual classrooms, are smaller play areas for the Dragonfly and Primary classes, with adjacent landscaping to enable forest school activities to be offered to pupils. Existing playing fields and areas of woodland around the site are to be retained with additional areas of attractive soft landscape planting and informal recreational spaces created.

The proposals involve the formation of 97 car parking spaces, including 10 accessible bays, with 3 additional spaces specifically for minibus parking (as currently exists). A number of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points - which are not currently provided at the school - would also be installed. Dedicated drop off / pick up space for taxis and minibuses transporting children to and from school is proposed, with a set of new internal security gates set further back into the site to allow taxis that arrive before scheduled pick up times to wait inside the site at the end of the school day. This should help to alleviate traffic build up on the Cromer Road.

A fenced ‘secure zone’ will be maintained around the areas of the school to be used by pupils, with electronic access in and out of this area controlled by staff. Visitor parking spaces will be located close to the main site entrance, outside the secure zone, with all visitors required to register at the new school reception area within the new building before being able to enter any other part of the site.

Additional landscape planting is proposed within the site, particularly along the southern site boundary and within the new area of soft recreational space to the south of Sidestrand Hall. This will have both visual and biodiversity benefits, with an overall Biodiversity Net Gain proposed.

The Fairy Garden is to remain in its current location and will continue to be accessible outside of the secure line so that it remains accessible to friends and families.