The University of Cambridge has awarded Willmott Dixon the £11million contract to build a primary school that will be operated by the university. Called the University of Cambridge Primary School, the three-form entry school will be BREEAM Excellent and utilises thinking from the University’s Faculty of Education to create flexible space that meets three key needs: providing primary education, teacher training and educational research.

The school, designed by Marks Barfield Architects, will be the first completed building as part of the North West Cambridge Development. Gavin Heaphy, construction director for the North West Cambridge Development said: “Through the Scape framework, Willmott Dixon have demonstrated extensive experience of building high quality school projects and we are confident they will deliver a new school which will be an asset for the local community.”

Chris Tredget, managing director of Willmott Dixon, said: “Following our recent project with University of Cambridge to create its new Department for Material Sciences and Metallurgy, we are delighted to be working on this exciting primary school and be involved in the early stages of the North West Cambridge Development. We are looking forward to providing Cambridge’s families with an exceptional school and to extending our long relationship with the University of Cambridge.”

Willmott Dixon will work with the North West Cambridge Development consultants, Turner and Townsend Project Management and Gardiner and Theobald Cost Management. The University of Cambridge Primary School will open in phases from September 2015, serving the development site and a local catchment.

In May, Willmott Dixon was appointed to build the University of Birmingham School for the University of Birmingham in Selly Oak for 750 pupils aged between 11-16, with a further 400 places in the sixth form.