Sutton Coldfield, New-Build Primary School

Project Overview

Background

In January 2025, Birmingham City Council and main contractor Tilbury Douglas confirmed that they had signed all the necessary contracts to begin work on the construction of a new school building. The two-storey construction would eventually replace the existing infant and junior schools on the same site in order to improve the facilities available to pupils and teachers. Like the older buildings, the new one would have capacity for 420 pupils.

Construction work was scheduled to begin on 17th February, the start of the school’s half term, and Phase 1 would continue for 12 months, resulting in the completion of the main building in February 2026. In the meantime, teaching would continue in the existing school buildings, which would only be demolished when everyone had made the transition to the newly built classrooms.

In Phase 2, Tilbury Douglas would concentrate on external works, developing parking spaces, play areas, sports and recreational amenities across the wider site.

Brief

Valued at £12.8 million and funded by the Department for Education, the construction project had several important aims:

  • To provide more modern teaching facilities and spaces for learning
  • To reduce the school’s footprint on the ground, thereby freeing up more land outside for sports, recreation and possible future expansion
  • To provide working environments with better thermal and acoustic insulation
  • To enhance the overall appearance of the school and its grounds
  • To meet the demands of the new DfE Spec 21 specification, which requires ‘Net Zero in Operation’ sustainability standards

In order to comply with these exacting sustainability demands, the project design team proposed that the new school should feature a green roof, solar PV panels, air source heat pumps, and excellent levels of insulation in the walls, floor and roofs.

The new building would feature a steel frame with sheathing boards, over which Rendserve (the chosen installation contractor) would install a non-combustible external wall insulation system. This would help to deliver excellent thermal performance, to prevent draughts and, thus, to keep the walls essentially airtight. Importantly, it would also provide effective acoustic insulation to help maintain a quiet learning environment where pupils could thrive.

Further requirements were that, in accordance with the DfE Schools Output Specification, the chosen system should have a design life of at least 40 years and, moreover, that it should achieve an A2-s1,d0 reaction to fire classification (BS EN 13501-1:2018).

Design and Specification:

The chosen EWI system comprised:

When combined with Permarock SiliconeUltra K finish, Permarock Mineral Fibre EWI systems achieve an A2-s1,d0 reaction to fire classification and can be used on buildings of any height. The Schools Output Specification Technical Annex 2C: External Fabric dictates that “cladding on a school building with a storey 18m above ground level shall achieve Class A2-s1, d0 fire resistance or better.”  Similarly, it states that the same rating is required “where school buildings are prone to vandalism… for all special schools,” and for all residential areas of boarding schools.

The Permarock Mineral Fibre Insulation was supplied in boards measuring 1200 mm x 600 mm. They were installed in thicknesses of 250 mm on all external walls at the first-floor level. Other thicknesses were used as necessary to complete the detailed design of the system. All insulation boards were affixed by means of adhesive bonding and mechanical fixings.

Permarock SiliconeUltra K Finish is a flexible, vapour-permeable render with a textured finish. It prevents water ingress and maintains a clean appearance by incorporating advanced materials that resist the accumulation of dirt and unsightly growths.  It provides the insulation boards with reliable weather protection and it permits the construction of walls with exceptional airtightness – further helping to prevent heat loss.

Performance and Sustainability

Permarock Mineral Fibre External Wall Insulation systems have low embodied energy and are BIM Level 2 compliant. They exhibit thermal conductivity of 0.036 W/mK, and have an Ecopoints score of 0.10 (m2). This is classified as an ‘excellent’ rating.

Permarock Mineral Fibre insulation is manufactured to EN 13162 and is CFC and HCFC free. It has zero Ozone Depletion Potential and zero Global Warming Potential.

Planning and Project Delivery:

Permarock technical staff were actively engaged in the design stages, providing detailing assistance, specifications, U-values, condensation risk analysis as well as material samples and colour charts to support the designers in their choices. In preparation for works on site, they supported the delivery team by conducting on-site testing and quality checks, and by visiting regularly to provide ongoing troubleshooting and technical assistance.

The EWI system was fitted by Rendserve, a Permarock Registered Installer, which has received extensive training in the use of the relevant materials and systems. As a result, and with the support of project-specific detail drawings, its operatives were able to proceed quickly and efficiently. This helped to keep the project on schedule; the final stages of rendering were completed in January 2026, as planned.

Result:

In October 2025, with the works well advanced, pupils were given a guided tour of the new building. In that month’s school newsletter, head teacher Mark Benton wrote: “During the afternoons, in groups of 20, they got to visit the school rebuild site. They donned their hard hats and their hi-vis vests and took a tour around the building.  They got to see their new classrooms, the staffroom, the hall and activity studio, and even got to go upstairs onto the first floor and look out of the windows across the building site.”

The Permarock Mineral Fibre EWI system has given the new school building a bright, clean appearance and it will keep the property well protected for decades to come. 250 mm is the maximum thickness usually specified for the mineral fibre boards, so the building is now benefiting from optimal thermal insulation. As a result, it should retain heat very efficiently in winter while staying cooler in summer. This will help to maintain a comfortable working environment in all seasons, and it will help to minimise the energy costs associated with space heating and air conditioning.

For the same reason, the EWI system also provides very effective acoustic insulation, blocking out noise from the sports pitches and playgrounds, and thereby minimising distractions for everyone working inside.

In January 2026, as the project approached completion, Mr Benton wrote “It’s hard to believe the amazing progress that has been made since February 2025, but we are now approaching the final stages of the rebuild and there are only a few things left to be done.” Soon afterwards, the final elements were signed off and the new building received its official opening.

All works were completed on budget in February 2026. Staff and pupils made a phased transition to the new building and teaching activities continued without interruption.

Project
New Build / Education
Client
Birmingham City Council / Tilbury Douglas
Specifier
CPMG Architects Ltd.
Substrate
Cement Fibre Sheathing Boards
System
Permarock Mineral Fibre External Wall Insulation Systems
Finish
Permarock SiliconeUltra K Finish