Morgan Sindall Construction plants the roots of a new Kent primary school
Morgan Sindall Construction has celebrated the start of works at Rosherville Church of England Academy, a new primary school designed to meet the needs of Northfleet’s growing community.
To mark this milestone, Morgan Sindall has lowered a time capsule into the ground and gifted the school a tree sapling to care for over the next year. The sapling will then be planted during a practical completion ceremony ahead of the school's opening.
The project, appointed to Morgan Sindall through Kent County Council, marks the first development of a new partnership between the Department for Education (DfE) and the Council.
Local children currently occupy Rosherville C of E Primary School on Northfleet’s London Road. However, the existing school lacks the capacity and modern facilities to meet the local area’s needs. The new school is being built just half a mile from the River Thames. Upon completion, existing pupils will be relocated to this highly anticipated site.
Located on the new Cable Wharf estate, the primary school will provide 420 places for children in the community, an extra 280 spaces than their current facility. The site will also meet the requirements for 15 places in a specialist resource provision for children with SEND and offer a 26-place nursery.
Once open, students can enjoy a playground, a 3G artificial grass sports pitch, multi-use games area, and wildflower gardens. Meanwhile, parents can mingle during school drop-off in a purpose-built plaza.
Taking inspiration from Northfleet’s industrial heritage, the two-storey building will continue this legacy of innovation with a cutting-edge science lab that is available for hire by the community.
In line with Morgan Sindall’s commitment to sustainable building, these features will be heightened by sensory planting, new trees, and a green roof, enhancing biodiversity by 10% across the site. This is set to create greener spaces for the community and encourage healthier streets. The school will also be fitted with photovoltaic (PV) panels to boost energy efficiency, a key contributing factor to the school’s net-zero plans.
Working closely with Aletheia Academies Trust and Kent County Council, Morgan Sindall has employed its Intelligent Solutions approach to transform the previously industrial land, once featuring a road and ammunitions factory, into a state-of-the-art primary school. The cliffs located at the back of the site were air-raid shelters during World War II, so the team are committed to working with as little disruption as possible to local history.
As Rosherville Church of England Academy will reside on Cable Wharf – a development that features 600 new homes – the school is vital to support local children’s education, upskill the community, and create local jobs.
The Morgan Sindall team are committed to engaging with the community and keeping them informed while carrying out works. As part of this, the hoarding on-site will feature vision points for locals, so families can watch as their new school rises.
Aligned with Morgan Sindall's dedication to supporting the future of the construction industry, the project has already employed a work experience student, mechanical and electrical apprentice, and first local labourer. Additionally, there are planned community initiatives to benefit the local neighbourhood and make a wider economic impact.
Guy Hannell, Area Director of Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said:
We’re honoured to deliver the primary school that Northfleet’s community deserves. It is state-of-the-art infrastructure like this that gives children the best start in life, and it’s great to be part of it.
Our close, collaborative relationship with Kent County Council and the Department for Education has helped us create something truly tailored to pupils’ needs. It’s so important to build schools like this in new communities, supporting residents and inspiring the next generation of Cable Wharf, all while constructing in a way that establishes greener spaces and promotes healthier streets.”
Justine Roddan, Headteacher at Rosherville Church of England Academy, said:
We are incredibly excited about this new chapter for Rosherville. The move to the Cable Wharf Development, along with the introduction of our new nursery and specialist resourced provision reflects our commitment to providing the best possible learning environment for our students and embodies the community’s dedication to supporting excellence in education for all.”
Rory Love, Cabinet Member for Education and Schools for Kent County Council said:
This new two form entry school building will provide a modern, spacious and environmentally friendly teaching provision for the both the new children residing in Cable Wharf and for the children already attending the Rosherville Church of England Primary Academy.
The new carbon-neutral building will include a special resource area to provide educational support and a nursery, both with dedicated play areas. Externally, pupils will be able to enjoy a range of activities on hard and soft play areas, including two multi-use games pitches and a 3G all-weather playing pitch.
Kent County Council’s driving ambition is to deliver the best outcomes we can for all children, young people and their families, so that Kent is the best place for children and young people to grow up safely, learn, develop and achieve. I look forward to seeing the children fulfil their potential in this superb new accommodation, as part of the Alethia Academy Trust family of schools.”
ENDS