Warden Hill Primary School

Proposal to replace the school buildings at Warden Hill Primary School

Warden Hill Primary School is a two form entry primary school (420 pupils) located in Durham Close, Warden Hill, Cheltenham.

Warden Hill Primary was rated as an ‘outstanding’ school by Ofsted, however, surveys of the buildings show the school was in need of extensive refurbishment. The council identified Warden Hill Primary School as its highest priority in terms of condition works to be undertaken within the county.

In 2018 Gloucesterhire County Council consulted on the proposal to expand the school to a three form entry school (630 pupils). The decision to expand the school was deferred to March 2020 so that the latest birth data could be reviewed, and a decision was subsequently taken not to expand the school as there would be sufficient capacity for pupil numbers in the area.

Funding was originally approved to expand Warden Hill Primary School and to address condition issues at the school. Although the expansion was not progressed at this time, the condition of the buildings remained a significant concern and, in November 2020, Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet approved additional funding to replace the existing school buildings. Detailed investigations showed that refurbishing the existing buildings through an extensive maintenance programme would not be an efficient use of resources and it would be better to replace the school buildings.

Ground was broken on the project in November 2021 and new school building opened its doors to children and staff in March 2023. The second phase of the project to demolish the old school buildings, along with the completion of the car park and landscaping, was completed in the autumn 2023.