Protected: Cranbourne Secondary School

Cranbourne School is a new 1200-pupil replacement secondary school in Basingstoke, incorporating a new swimming pool and sports centre.

The proposed project comprises replacing all existing blocks on the site, with the exception of the Site Manager’s House, with one efficient three-storey school building. The new school will be fully integrated with the wider masterplan, maximising the school’s external sports and social provision.

The proposal provides a new building located to the east of the existing playing fields, allowing the existing school to remain operational during construction. Once complete, all existing school buildings will be demolished.

The scheme includes the re-provision of hard and soft informal spaces, hard and soft PE areas, including a replacement multi-use games area, new habitat areas and high-quality soft landscaping.

The design also improves the school’s presence within the local community by enabling out-of-hours access to sport, swimming, and performing arts facilities.

The value of the project was unlocked through a collaborative, iterative design process that balanced client ambitions, operational clarity and long-term efficiency.

The project was developed in conjunction with school representatives, the DfE and its advisors through a series of engagement meetings that tested the client brief, site constraints and the DfE control option. Alternative design approaches were explored and evaluated through these discussions, leading to the agreement of a preferred option which was subsequently developed.

This alternative design enabled a more efficient school layout – spatially, economically and structurally, while remaining aligned with DfE requirements. Our ambition was not only to meet DfE expectations but to exceed them by delivering a school building that holistically integrates Cranbourne School’s house structure, while strengthening supports and community provision to serve both the school, and the wider community.

This approach delivered value through:

• A more efficient spatial, structural and economic layout
• Clear, intuitive organisation supporting student flow and passive supervision
• Integrated safeguarding and security strategies
• Logical zoning to enable effective curriculum delivery and community use
• Spaces that actively support Cranbourne’s house structure, identity and traditions.

The new Cranbourne School will replace an existing 1960s school that has reached the end of its life, with several buildings containing RAAC. The current facilities do not provide students with an inspiring place to learn and thrive. In contrast, the proposed school will offer a modern, state-of-the-art environment where students can feel connected to their education, with facilities designed to inspire learning and enhance outcomes and future life prospects of pupils.

Alongside the school, a new swimming pool and sports centre with its own dedicated entrance will be delivered. This will allow the school to benefit economically from community use, while providing local residents with access to high-quality facilities that support health and wellbeing.

The wider redevelopment of the site will include multiple sports pitches, landscape and ecological features, taking advantage of the generous site area. swales, rain gardens, allotments and ecological gardens are integrated across the site, with several new habit areas delivering a biodiversity net gain of over 10% and significantly enhancing the ecological value of the area.

Sustainability was embedded from the outset, shaping both the form of the building and the way it will perform over its lifetime.

At Bond Bryan, we focus on creating lasting, sustainable environments that enrich the lives and experiences of people and their communities. Our technical expertise and knowledge informed a simple, efficient building from using highly insulated external fabric systems that support both spatial quality and construction efficiency, reducing time on site. The proposed school seeks to utilise low embodied carbon products and offsite construction where possible. As a DfE school, the building will achieve low U-values and is designed to be Net Zero Carbon in operation, supporting long-term operational efficiency and reduced energy demand.

Sustainability outcomes include

• A simple, efficient building form that reduces material use and construction time
• High-performance fabric achieving low U-values
• Use of low embodied carbon materials and offsite construction where possible
• Net Zero Carbon in operation with DfE requirements.