Primary school set to expand as modernisation plans are revealed

A school could expand as part of plans to modernise an 'outdated' part of the building. The Macclesfield primary has applied for permission to build a new single-storey extension for its nursery children and a small staff car park.

Ivy Bank Primary School, on Valley Road,wants to build the new high-quality contemporary nursery space because the existing provision is ‘somewhat outdated and spatially lacking in terms of connectivity, layout and safeguarding’.

A design and access statement submitted by aad architects with the planning application to Cheshire East Council states: “It is intended the space will be used by mainstream pre-school children aged thee and four years old. This presents a spatial allowance for approximately 30 children. Toilet cubicles will be provided as part of the proposals directly accessible off the main nursery space. Facing west, the new room will overlook the existing playing fields, offering simple access out to them through the smaller dedicated secure external play area.”

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Ivy Bank is an established primary school catering for children from nursery through to the end of key stage two.

The report states: “Currently the school operates within a variety of spaces which are somewhat dated, limited in terms of ideal capacity, and in some cases, inadequate for the appropriate delivery of education to 21st century standards. The school has benefited from recent modern additions but areas like the nursery require improvement to align with current pedagogical approaches.”

The proposed new building is described as an ‘insert extension of approximately 97m2’ to the rear of the existing main