Jesmond Gardens Primary School is a new 315 place school (with 26 full time nursery places) designed by ADP for Hartlepool Borough Council, replacing, as part of the Council’s Primary Capital Programme, an existing Victorian school built on a nearby site. The 2,055m2 school follows a transformational ethos for its pedagogy where children experience ‘stage not age’ learning allowing them their highest personal development.
Within the main part of the school, children enjoy a great variety of open, agile space. ADP designed ‘learning bases’ fitted with acoustic curtains that can be easily drawn, dividing a group of up to ninety children into smaller configurations as required. This allows pupils of similar abilities to be taught collectively, helping to achieve more personalised learning. The learning areas are open, welcoming and airy, created by natural daylight and high quality furniture. There are no conventional corridors or cloakrooms; instead there are pull out trolleys within the teaching spaces with toilet pods, which are self-contained units consisting of toilets and washbasins, providing privacy for pupils.
The central ‘heart’ area was designed to enable expansion of the teaching areas and main hall. The two can be linked together, or separated, providing agile options for assembly, lunch times, and to house the thriving parent community. Similarly, the circulation spaces can be used as ICT-enabled extensions to the learning spaces.
Internal and external space works to provide an integrated environment. There is a trim trail, MUGA, sports pitch and wildlife pond area that provides a habitat zone. There are green walls that once matured, will provide an attractive aesthetic for users and visitors, in addition to acting as an environmental educational feature for pupils.
Jesmond Gardens has received acclaim from notable educationalists here and abroad. Professor Stephen Heppell, who champions innovative learning approaches in schools remarked: ‘This is the best building I have ever opened…This building astonishes…It is bathed in light and learning…It’s a world class school with such attention to detail…Every detail matters because every detail improves learning.’
“Working with everyone at ADP has been perfect in every way. For me as Headteacher, it was wonderful to work with people who could ‘get inside our heads’ and put our vision into reality. Our new building provides an inspirational place to be for our children and provides learning spaces that support our teaching pedagogy and philosophy of treating children with respect and dignity. Our new school is a wonderful home to both children and adults. Working with ADP was a truly great partnership.” - Jane Loomes, Head of Jesmond Gardens Primary School.
