Pupils celebrate improvement works at Park Lane Primary School

Pupils and staff at Park Lane Primary celebrated the completion of works which have delivered major improvements across the school.

Work to make the buildings more energy-efficient have helped reduce the Tilehurst school’s carbon footprint by more than 41 tonnes of CO2.

Children have produced artwork linked to a project at Reading Museum which tells the story of the school’s eco-credentials and brightens up hoardings at the school.

The improvements across Park Lane school’s two sites have been carried out by the Council, supported by Hampshire County Council’s design team, and Francis Construction.

The junior school has had heating upgrades, new windows, replacement roofs, new reception area and library resource space and an old annexe building has been demolished and car parking created.

At the infants' site, four new modular classrooms have replaced the three old ones. The Reception year space has been completely refurbished with new play space, a new playground has been created for Year 1, the staffroom has been upgraded and a new car park installed with EV charging provision for staff.

The installation of new boilers, roof insulation, double-glazed windows and LED lighting has helped the school save an estimated 195,000KWh of energy annually, which is enough to make 8.4m cups of tea, or the total annual energy used by 14 average houses. It is estimated this will reduce annual energy costs by around £17,500.

A new electric vehicle charger and scooter and bike racks have also been installed to encourage sustainable journeys to school.

Pupils from the school’s Climate Managers group were joined by classmates at workshops with artists Jon and Kate Lockhart to create colourful drawings of Berkshire’s animals, plants and landscapes. The artwork has been used to create panels which will inform and brighten up the hoardings at the junior school site which separate the previous Year 6 annexe and is earmarked for future educational provision.

The art project was supported by Reading Museum and is linked to its Green Space gallery, which showcases the flora and fauna of the region and the history of the local environment.  

Councillors joined pupils and staff from Park Lane school and members of the project team to mark the completion of works on 11 December.

Cllr Rachel Eden, Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said:

“The extensive work carried out by the Council at Park Lane Primary is not only making a big difference to the children and teachers every day but to the environment and the school’s running costs.

“The installation of new double-glazed windows, roof insulation, efficient boilers and LED lighting makes classrooms warmer and brighter and significantly reduces energy bills. All of which counts towards the Council’s aim of cutting its carbon emissions.

“New playgrounds and outside areas with additional trees and biodiversity boosting planting, have also created lovely space for children to exercise, play and care for nature.

“Amazing artwork by the pupils features in wonderful inspiring panels which celebrate the local wildlife and nature and proudly tells the story of the school’s eco achievements.”

Rachel McDonagh, Park Lane Primary School Headteacher, said:

“We are absolutely delighted with the improvements across both our school sites. The enhanced learning environments, from brighter classrooms to newly designed outdoor spaces, are already making a noticeable difference to our children’s wellbeing and engagement.

“The energy-efficient upgrades not only support our commitment to sustainability but also bring long-term cost savings that allow us to invest even more in our pupils’ education.

“One of the real highlights has been watching the children work alongside local artists to create the stunning storytelling panels. They approached the project with excitement and creativity, and seeing their pride as their artwork is now displayed within the school community has been wonderful.”