Northstowe Learning Community has been named ‘Education Project of the Year’ at the East of England Property Awards.
The award recognises the collaboration between Northstowe Learning Community, Cambridgeshire County Council, Meridian Trust, architects Frank Shaw, construction partner Kier and the master developer for phases two and three of Northstowe, Homes England.
Claire Mills, principal of Northstowe Learning Community, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this recognition. This award represents the dedication, vision, and collaboration shared between Meridian Trust, Kier, and Homes England.
“At Northstowe Learning Community and across Meridian Trust, we are committed to providing high-quality learning environments for all our students. Our campus was designed not only to support academic achievement but also to inspire creativity, inclusivity and environmental awareness, values that are embedded in our ethos.”
The only all-through education campus in Cambridgeshire, Northstowe Learning Community provides learning from nursery to sixth-form, including a dedicated special school.
It will eventually accommodate more than 2,300 pupils.
It has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainability, with the secondary school and sixth-form deriving 74 per cent of their energy from low- or zero-carbon technologies, including solar panels and air source heat pumps.
There are outdoor classrooms, green spaces and a walking and cycling network to encourage active travel, while the landscaping is designed to enhance biodiversity, with native planting, ecological corridors, wildflower meadows, a hibernaculum, bog gardens and integrated bird and bat boxes, plus hedgehog-friendly fencing.
Inside, the campus has digitally-connected classrooms and sensory-friendly spaces.
Ms Mills was joined by Steven Ponting, operations manager from Kier Construction, Sophia Dudding, planning and enabling manager (Northstowe) at Homes England, and Steve Cuttill, from Frank Shaw at the ceremony at Homerton College.
Tom Martin, regional director, Kier Construction Eastern & Midlands, said: “This award reflects our joint commitment to designing and delivering projects that leave a lasting legacy for communities. Northstowe Learning Community sets a benchmark for what can be achieved through meaningful collaboration and thoughtful, sustainable design. We are incredibly proud to have worked alongside Homes England and Meridian Trust on this inspiring project.”
Matthew Brown, head of large sites, Northstowe, at Homes England, added: “Education is the foundation of strong, sustainable communities, and this award recognises just how powerful early investment in learning infrastructure can be. Northstowe Learning Community has brought high-quality, inclusive education to the heart of the town from the outset, and we’re proud to have worked in partnership to deliver a campus that will serve generations to come. Timely delivery of key facilities like this enables Homes England as master developer to accelerate delivery of the town.”
Steve Cuttill, from Frank Shaw, said: “Good buildings start with visionary clients and are realised by committed, creative and enthusiastic teams – this project had all of that. The result is a learning campus that we are sure will inspire generations of children and young adults to come. We are delighted that the campus has received this recognition and that we were part of that team.”