Ditton Park Academy

Client Department for Education

Sector Schools and Colleges

Location South East

Value £20m

The Ditton Park Academy is a £20m co-educational Free School in Slough, delivered via the Department for Education Contractors Framework. Utilising full use of Galliford Try’s Optimum School Principles, the project displays an efficient layout, maximising the space which was available to build on.

The principles allowed for a design which met the challenges of building close to a nearby flood plain, as well as the surrounding housing developments. Pavilions and an intelligently efficient circulation system around the campus made the best use of available space.

An internal courtyard was also created, which not only provided a far more safe environment for students, but also significantly less building mass alongside the sports hall, which was built on a lower elevation to the academy’s main building. This allowed Galliford Try to meet a key condition for the granting of planning permission.

The standardised school design is both adaptable and flexible, while still maintaining a high-quality feel. This, combined with the building’s other impressive features, assisted in gaining it the Innovation in Delivering Value Award at the Education Estates Awards in 2018.