Kier has been awarded the contract to transform Springfield School in Portsmouth, as part of the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme.
The new, purpose-built school is designed to be net zero in operation and will be made up of a three-storey teaching block and a double height sports building. It will replace the school’s current assortment of buildings with best-in-class education facilities, helping to ensure its 1,200 pupils can maximise their full potential.
The new school layout has been carefully thought out to best suit the needs of students and staff. With multiple pupil entrances, open corridors and more space at corridor intersections, teachers will be better able to supervise students as they move between lessons and avoid congestion. The design also factors in the school’s aspiration to be a community asset – with separate entrances for community access, meaning local residents can enjoy the school’s new sports hall and activity studio.
With the demand for Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) spaces continuing to rise, Springfield School is set to benefit from a self-contained SEND space. The school will co-locate SEND classrooms on a single corridor of the new building next to a dedicated garden space, ensuring all students have an inclusive and supportive environment to learn.
John Boughton, managing director for Kier Construction Southern, said:
We are excited to bring this brand-new facility to the Portsmouth community. As a trusted partner to the education sector, our expert team will bring the technical excellence, collaboration and innovation needed to transform Springfield School and benefit the local community for many years to come.
Sara Spivey, headteacher of Springfield School and CEO of The De Curci Trust said:
This redevelopment delivers essential, state-of-the-art educational facilities; and we very much look forward to its (phase 1) completion in 2027. While the new built environment will be more condensed in scale than at present, we are pleased that environmental responsibility is being prioritised through advanced sustainable design. Our community deserves an inspiring and modern learning environment, and we hope that the final design and build will meet this need.
Procured through the DfE’s CF21 Framework, construction work is due to begin in March 2026.
This is the latest education project that Kier will be delivering in the south of England using their kSchool model, which standardises key elements of the build to save time and effort on site.
Kier is currently on site at King’s Academy Bay House and North Whiteley Secondary School and have recently handed over Oak Academy in Bournemouth and Mayfield School in Portsmouth.