Our School Expansion

The exciting school expansion we’ve all been hoping for is well under way. Due to be completed by December 2023, it will add two extra classrooms to our school and replace our exhausted 1950’s lunch bar building with efficient and modern facilities. Internally, the EYFS classrooms will be remodelled to make best use of all available space. These expansion works are funded by Essex County Council and Chelmsford City Council.

Here are some of the initial changes people can expect to see, that we’ve shared with the whole school community:

New layout
New Building

Replacing the lunch bar and kitchen, adding two classrooms and toilets.

closed area
Front playground closed during construction.
side playground
Still room to play!

The side playground will stay open.

lunches

Lunches will be served in the Lower Hall.

office access

School Office is accessed through the car park.

school entrance

Enter the school through the field gates.

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Important changes to remember:

  • Construction vehicles will be entering and exiting the school site through a new gate near the existing car park gates.
  • The buzzer for the car park and office access will be slightly relocated and will still be in use.
  • A temporary, purpose built kitchen will be placed in the car park.
  • Break and lunch times may be staggered.
  • Those with packed lunch will be able to choose to eat outside or in the hall when their class is called (depending on the weather).
  • All children will still have their playtimes and lunchtimes and will be able to use the available play spaces across the week e.g. MUGA.
  • The YMCA after school club will be relocated to inside the main building and parents will drop off and collect children through the car park access gate.
  • Some school clubs will be relocated within the building to ensure they can go ahead.

Early morning queries can still be directed to the Senior Leaders on the gates; they will be able to contact the office if needed. The staff on each gate will hold a ‘drop off’ box for any letters etc. to be given to the office.

Please read the school newsletter to stay ahead with dates and arrangements, and note the office email address and telephone numbers to reduce the need to access the school office.

The club offer going forward will be reduced whilst space is at a premium and we are limited as to what we can safely offer. It is likely this will not return to a normal offer until next academic year when the building works are completed.

What are we doing to support your child through these changes?

We know at times when there is a lot of change we need to ensure children are well prepared, have a chance to ask questions and know how this affects them.

  • This term, our assemblies show photos and drawings of the site so children know what parts of the school site they won’t be able to go in and share why.
  • Class teams will be revisiting this in smaller class groups to ensure that worries and questions the children have can be explored further.
  • Classes will be able to visit the construction site during learning time so see what is going on and the construction site manager will also be answering the children’s questions.
  • There will be regular updates in the newsletter and the children will hear about news through whole school and class assemblies.
  • We have provided a photo sheet to go home to help you to talk to your child.

Thank you for your support through this time of exciting change for the school. Please come and speak to the school senior team if you have any questions.

Photo Gallery

New layout
Artist's impression of what the new building will look like

The layout inside the new building: replacing the lunch bar and kitchen, adding two classrooms and toilets.

front playground
construction area in playground

The area of the front playground sectioned off for construction.

side playground
side playground

Still plenty of room to play in the side playground.

muga
Multi-use games area MUGA

Our new multi-use games area (MUGA) offers more space to play all year round.

lunches
Lower Hall

Lunches are served in the Lower Hall. Food is still prepared on site.

lunches
school access

Enter through the field gates for dropping off and picking up.

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Other articles we’ve published about the expansion

  • Brickwork going up

    Brickwork going up

    The outside of the building is currently being clad with bricks, you will be able to see a lot of this going up from the roadside as well as the playground side. All the windows are in and the external doors have been installed.Inside, the timber is being plaster-boarded and the electric, data cables and…

  • Peak inside the Canopy

    Peak inside the Canopy

    ‘The Canopy’ was chosen as the name of the new building because a canopy is a layer of protection that provides shelter and safety to a uniqueand diverse ecosystem to enable it to thrive. The Headteaher said: “I believe the meaning behind the name embodies what we do here at our school for our children.”The…

  • Time capsule ceremony celebrates school’s historic milestone

    Time capsule ceremony celebrates school’s historic milestone

    Vicky Ford MP attended the time capsule ceremony at the school on Friday 24th February. She said: “It was lovely to join the children from Trinity Road Primary School burying their time capsules. They should be extremely proud of what is happening in their school. The expansion of Trinity Road Primary will bring huge benefits to children all across this part of Chelmsford, but also to others…

  • Expansion progress update by the construction team

    Expansion progress update by the construction team

    January has seen a good month of progress on site with works taking place to the new extension area of the school. The main progress in January has been the excavation and pour of the foundations as shown in the pictures, along with the deep drainage works. The substructure brickwork and underground drainage has commenced.…

  • Lunch Bar demolition completed

    Lunch Bar demolition completed

    The project to replace our old 1950’s lunch bar building with a new dining hall with two additional classrooms is progressing well. Before the holidays, the contractors stripped out the kitchen appliances and equipment and moved them to the temporary kitchen located in the staff car park. The tables were moved into the Lower Hall…

  • New BT cables being fitted this week

    New BT cables being fitted this week

    An additional section of the lower playground at the bottom of the steps to the office will be fenced off on Thursday and Friday. The pedestrian gate from the car park will still be accessible, but access will be diverted slightly while BT swap overhead cables for underground cables across the school playground this week;…

  • Kitchen change-over on Monday 5th

    This week, the temporary kitchen is being connected to all the utilities and the larger items will be fitted on Monday 5th December. The on-site catering team will be cooking in there from Tuesday 6th December. To help the catering team with this mammoth move, we have arranged packed lunches for Monday 5th December for…

  • New Dates for our Expansion buildingworks

    New Dates for our Expansion buildingworks

    We are excited that things are now starting to happen again, and you will start to see more happening. As you know, dates are subject to change and I will keep you updated if there are any changes. Date What is happening? 21st Nov Temporary Kitchen installed on sitePart of the lower playground fenced off…

  • Expansion Build News – Start date and Changes

    Expansion Build News – Start date and Changes

    The expansion project is due to restart on Monday 21st November.You will not be affected by the changes to the site until Monday 5th December, when we will move to using only the Springfield Park Hill Road entrance onto the school field as the main access point for all families.

  • Expansion Build News – The Lunchbar Demolition

    Expansion Build News – The Lunchbar Demolition

    We will move out of the lunchbar over October half term and will have a temporary, purpose built, fully fitted kitchen on site to continue to cook our school meals during the works. The children will be eating inside the hall in school throughout the development. During the demolition and construction of the new building,…