Builders complete demolition to make way for Tring School's £30 million new build project

Earlier this year, planning permission was granted for a rebuild to provide Tring with a new, sustainable school.

After moving into the temporary “Modular Village” on the school field in August the first phase of the demolition of several blocks of the old school commenced, Neville was the first building to go followed by Watkins, Hobson and half of Fells.

Rod Gibberd, business director at Tring School, said: "This was a fascinating process that at several points was greeted by a mixture of cheers, gasps and even applause as the students and staff watched buildings be torn apart before their eyes.

"It also brought some mixed emotions and a hint of sadness for some of us."

This demolition was completed on November 9.

The team then moved into a period of grinding down the fabric of the old school which will form part of the foundations for the new school.

The contracted construction firm, Bowmer and Kirkland, are set to pour concrete for the new foundations in the next few weeks.

The initial pieces of this steel structure that will form the framework of the new building are due to arrive in the week commencing December 14, and it will be a momentous occasion when the first of these is installed.

Throughout all of this the school has continued to operate in a Covid-safe manner.

Sue Collings, Chief Executive of the Ridgeway Learning Partnership, said: "Having to manage the school and the environment for the new build at the same time as following all of the Covid guidelines has brought it’s challenges, of course, but nothing that we haven’t been able to successfully deal with.

"Similarly, all of the meetings with Bowmer and Kirkland (the contractor) and the DfE have had to be held “virtually” and given the level of detail and meticulous planning required for every step of the process the amount of work involved has been enormous.

"At the moment the new build project is on time and on schedule to be completed late in 2021 with the new buildings coming into operation at the very start of 2022.

"After this we still have to demolish most of the remaining old buildings (excluding the Beloe and Desborough blocks) and complete the parking areas and landscaping.

"2021 is going to be a very exciting time for Tring School.

"Our new buildings and sports facilities will be very 'state of the art' and we can’t wait to see them start to take shape and then be completed before our very eyes."

The £30m project is largely government funded but the school has contributed a significant amount of its own funds to create additional pastoral and physical education facilities.

This has been made possible with the support of a generous benefactor and the local community.

The buildings are also environmentally efficient and will include a number of elements that will make it one of the most sustainable new schools in the country.

To see regularly updated photos, drone footage, a virtual 'fly through' and plans for the new building, click here.