IN Brief:
- Esh Construction has completed Greenfield Academy's three-storey teaching block and sports centre extension in Newton Aycliffe.
- The development provides 19 classrooms, specialist teaching facilities, and building-services systems incorporating solar generation and heat pumps.
- Refurbishment of existing accommodation has also been completed, with demolition of redundant school buildings and landscaping works planned during 2027.
Esh Construction has completed the new three-storey teaching block and sports centre extension at Greenfield Academy in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, delivering modern educational accommodation as part of a wider programme to redevelop the school estate.
The completed facilities include 19 classrooms, specialist teaching departments, and improved sports accommodation, with the development intended to support up to 750 students. Durham County Council and the Advance Learning Partnership Multi Academy Trust have supported the investment, while Esh has delivered both new construction and refurbishment work across the academy.
Planning permission was granted in late 2024, establishing the development programme to replace outdated accommodation with new teaching facilities. Esh was appointed to deliver the new building in June 2025, with the project progressing alongside the continued operation of the school.
The three-storey teaching block accommodates general classrooms and specialist departments within a purpose-built structure. Four classrooms are positioned on the ground floor alongside a design and technology department, while the first floor provides 12 classrooms, staff accommodation, and three meeting rooms.
The second floor houses the academy's science department, incorporating two studios, three laboratories, a preparation room, a chemistry studio, and three further classrooms. Toilet facilities are provided across all three levels.
The arrangement provides dedicated accommodation for practical subjects requiring different working environments from conventional classrooms. Science laboratories, for example, must accommodate the equipment and services needed for practical teaching, while design and technology spaces require layouts suitable for specialist activities.
The new sports centre extension provides additional facilities for the academy and is intended to support community use outside normal school hours. Its completion will allow the academy to expand the availability of sports accommodation beyond curriculum activities, subject to the arrangements established for opening the facilities.
Construction of the principal building reached a major milestone in September 2025, when the project team marked the installation of the structural steel frame. The frame incorporated approximately 202 tonnes of steel across the teaching block and sports facilities.
By May 2026, the three-storey teaching block had reached topping out, with its roof installed and tested, windows glazed, and internal partitions formed. Mechanical and electrical installation was progressing at that stage, including pipework, containment systems, and cabling distributed through the building.
The latest completion milestone marks the end of the principal construction and fit-out works for the new teaching accommodation and sports centre extension. The academy is now taking ownership of the new facilities, although the wider redevelopment programme still includes demolition and external works.
Grant Watson, Construction Director at Esh Construction, said: “We are incredibly proud to have completed the construction of the new school building and sports centre extension at Greenfield Academy.”
Watson attributed the completion to collaboration between the contractor, Durham County Council, and the academy trust. The development team also included Howarth Litchfield Architects, BGP, KYOOB, and Gemini, with the project incorporating energy-efficiency measures during design and construction.
Photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps have been installed as part of the building-services strategy. The solar installation provides on-site electricity generation, while the heat pumps use energy drawn from external air to supply heat to the building's heating system.
Heat pump performance depends on the temperatures required by the heating distribution system, operating conditions, and the specification of the installed equipment. The project's completion information does not provide a measured energy reduction or operational carbon figure, so the performance of the systems will need to be established through subsequent operation.
The new accommodation has been delivered alongside a separate refurbishment programme affecting existing school buildings. Esh secured an additional £4m contract for those works, complementing the £14m new-build programme and allowing retained accommodation to be modernised as part of the wider investment.
Refurbishment was organised in phases to reduce disruption to teaching and other school activities. Initial works concentrated on the music and drama classrooms, followed by improvements to the main hall, reception, dining areas, and kitchen facilities.
The phased approach enabled work to progress across different parts of the occupied estate while maintaining access to accommodation required for daily school operations. Construction activities therefore had to be coordinated with the academy's timetable and the availability of individual spaces.
The refurbishment works were completed in September 2026. They included a full roof replacement, installation of new insulation and weatherproof membranes, upgraded ceilings and floor finishes, redecoration, and new partition walls to provide additional teaching accommodation.
Roof insulation reduces heat transfer through the building envelope, while weatherproof membranes provide protection against rainwater entering the construction. Their performance depends on the continuity of the installed systems and the treatment of junctions, penetrations, and other details within the roof assembly.
Earlier project information also identified mechanical and electrical upgrades, including LED lighting, ventilation, and drainage associated with improved facilities. These works form part of the programme to improve the condition and functionality of the retained accommodation rather than replacing every building on the estate.
James Keating, Executive Headteacher of Greenfield Academy, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be taking ownership of our new building, and the children are incredibly excited to begin enjoying the fantastic new facilities it provides.”
The development has also included training and community investment through Esh's Constructing Local programme. The contractor reports donating £10,000 to local charities and community groups in the Durham area, while work placements and T Level opportunities provided a combined 36 weeks of industry experience.
Apprentices spent a further 168 weeks working on the project. The programme has therefore provided practical experience of construction activities alongside the delivery of the school buildings, extending participation beyond the contractor's permanent workforce.
Durham County Council has supported the investment alongside the academy trust, with the redevelopment intended to improve educational accommodation for students in Newton Aycliffe and surrounding communities.
Cllr Cathy Hunt, the council's Cabinet member for children and young people's services, said: “We are pleased to see the construction of the new, modern Greenfield Academy reach its next major milestone.”
Completion of the principal teaching and sports accommodation does not mark the end of construction activity across the estate. Esh is preparing a three-month demolition programme to remove the former school buildings, clearing space for the remaining external works.
Following demolition, the contractor's civil engineering division is scheduled to undertake further hard and soft landscaping from early spring 2027. These works will complete the remaining external areas and bring the wider development into its intended final arrangement.
The distinction between the completed facilities and the outstanding demolition programme is important to the project's delivery sequence. The academy can progress towards using the new buildings while the redundant structures are removed and the surrounding land is prepared for its final use.
The completion of the teaching block, sports extension, and retained-building refurbishment represents the principal accommodation milestone. Demolition and landscaping remain the final construction activities required to complete the wider Greenfield Academy redevelopment during 2027.
