Main Entrance

Work is continuing on the main entrance. The steps are now in place. These will lead into our lobby and the front desk.

Parquet Flooring

Here is a section of one of the newly cleaned Parquet floors. They really are beautiful. This will give you an idea of how the old and new will be brought together throughout the school.

Glass Walls and Doors

To let in as much light as possible throughout the school, there will be many glass walls and doors and being fitted. In this photo we are looking out of the Food Technology room towards an office space.

In this photo we are looking into the Food Technology room.

Doors and Cupboards

Many of the doors, cupboards and worktops are now being fitted. In this photo we are looking at one half of the Food Technology room.

The children's toilets are now fitted along with these really nice colourful doors.

Main Entrance

The framework for the new entrance is now in place. The whole of this unit is being built on site, so we will keep you posted with photos as it develops.

The roof of the Main Entrance has a very unusual design with a crisscross effect. This means nothing can be fabricated off site.  

Steels Installed 

A crane was used to very carefully place the new steels. This was accurate work, making sure not to knock the walkway above (which belongs to the Central Library) or the chimney. 

Concrete Base 

Huge slabs of old concrete were dug up, then a metal frame was fitted and filled with a new layer of concrete. This will for the base of the new entrance.

Governor & Parent Tours

Over the last few weeks groups of parents have been able to visit the Library to see first hand the development of our new school building.

Here we have the Cathedral Primary School Governors all safely dressed up for their tour around the site conducted by Trevor Anderson the Project Manager.

The Main Entrance

Work on the main entrance to school has now started. This whole section will all be built on site. Huge slaps of concrete are being dug up to prepare the ground and the building will feature and uniquely designed roof - we look forward to seeing it evolve over the next few weeks.

Staircase

The railing on the staircase have now been installed. And the space for the lift is now in place.

Staircase

The staircase is now being installed. This will take us up to the mezzanine level of the school. 

Windows

The original panels have been put back in place. These windows divide one of the classrooms with the upper walk-way. The glass is going be replaced with safety regulation glass.  

Walls

Rooms are really starting to take shape now. Many of the rooms even have an undercoat of paint on them which really brings them to life.

Plumbing 

With rooms taking shape so is the plumbing! Here is one of the pupil toilets on the upper level of the school.

Stonework

Specialist stonemasons have been working hard restoring sections of the stone throughout the school with fantastic results. 

Ceilings and Floors

Things are starting to take shape now that the floors/ceilings are appearing. 

Here we have the upper level flooring looking towards the windows onto Deanery Road.

Ceilings and Floors

The metal work is now in place for the construction of the ceilings and floors in the what was the main hall area. This is very exciting as the rooms are now starting to take shape. 

Window Cleaning

Specialist cleaners have been working hard cleaning the stone around all of the windows in the new school. With a brush not much bigger than a toothbrush they have meticulously worked around each window bringing the stone back to life.

CPS Staff visit the Library

Cathedral Primary School staff had the opportunity to visit the Library and see the changes that had been taking place. Everyone was supplied with the correct safety gear before entering the site and it was great to see that rooms within the building are now starting to take shape.

 29th September 2016

Metal Supports Now In Place

Metal supports are now in place for the floor that will be constructed in the main hall.

Supports are also in place for the removal of the wall in the hallway on the lower level.

Building Work in Progress

Concrete arriving in large amounts to fill the hallway.

CPS Parents & Carers Library Visits

Today was the start of a week of visits to the Library made by our parents and carers.

With all the correct safety gear in place they were given a tour around the site by Project Manager Trevor Anderson and Quantity Surveyor Luke Brown. 

Getting the feel of the double height hall.

Trevor Anderson explaining the layout on the lower level.

Parquet Flooring

Here we see the Parquet flooring being carefully removed. They will then be replaced, sanded and polished at a later date.

Loo with a View

This is one of the two toilet rooms that are on the upper level of the new school. Due to the plumbing and water system these toilets are located at the front of the building with great views over College Square.

The School Hall

The metal shelving units have now all been removed, giving a better sense of scale for what will become our School Hall. As you can see from the size of the workman in the photo it is going to be a really impressive large room.

The lower photo is looking up towards the Hayward Lights and into the floor of the Central Library. This can also be seen in the top left corner of the photo above. There are 9 of these floor panels each containing 165 glass bricks - that's 1,485 glass bricks to clean, above and below, to let in as much light as possible.

Removal of the Floor

The flooring has now been removed to reveal what will be the new School Hall.

The removal of the floor to give a double height hall, is how Holden, the designer of the Library had originally intended this room to look. The Hayward Lights above this room will also draw more light into the Hall.

The Hayward Lights

The cleaning of the Hayward Lights is well under way bringing new light into the rooms below.

Cornelia Baltes visits the Library

Artist Cornelia Baltes (second from left) who will design the Public Art that will be displayed within our new building came to visit the School site. Also with her on this visit was Simon Morrisey (center) Public Art Curator, Claire Haley (second from right) Architect for Coda, Tracy Wylde (right) designer and Nigel Glastonbury (left) the site manager.

Colour Combinations

The CPS team have had an interesting time looking at colour combinations for the interior of the new school. These are just some of the ideas and colour arrangements they looked at.

Uncovering the Hayward Lights

The screed over the Hayward lights is being removed with a sensitive chemical emulsion designed for heritage works.

Completion of this element is planned before the Library re-opens.

Removal of the Newspaper Bins

The newspaper archive room is now clear following the removal of the shelving.

The shelving has been sensitively dismantled and will be reconstructed for sale as a reclamation item.

Removal of library archive shelving

Dismantling of the archive shelving is progressing along with all existing mechanical and electrical services.

Temporary lighting has been installed and the area is being prepared to commence demolition.

Let there be light!

Light is already streaming into the basement through the Hayward lights as they are being uncovered, unfortunately these will be covered over for fire protection during construction.

CPS Staff visit the Library

Cathedral Primary School Staff had the opportunity to go and visit the lower levels of the Library last week. It gave us a really good sense of what will be a fantastic new school, although we did have to use our imagination as certain walls will be taken down, and the shelving units are yet to leave the building. We all came away feeling really excited about the space we are going to moving into later in the year.

We will be going to visit the site again in a couple of months when the walls have come down and the shelving has been removed, so watch this page for photos from us.

Here, Miss Lloyd is showing us her new Year 2 classroom. The wall on the right is being removed to open up the space.

Parquet floor protection works

The existing Parquet floor is being protected in readiness for the demolition of the shelving units, walls and floors.

The protection consists of 25mm Insulation, 9 to 18mm of Sterling board and 4mm thick flame retardant Corex sheet.

Mechanical and Electrical Surveys

Our M&E Contractor Priddy Engineering are on site carrying out surveys of the existing services and planning for the alteration works, which keep some services required for the Library live through the School area.

Library announces restricted opening period

The Library will be closed on weekdays for four weeks in March to make some improvements to the historic building and allow construction works to be carried out safely.

Kier Site Management Team

Meet the Kier site management team, from the left Nigel Glastonbury (Site Manager), Simon Clark (Project Manager) and Luke Brown (Project Quantity Surveyor)

High Visibility Jackets

Kier Construction workers will soon be seen wearing these high visibility jackets. The jackets will have the CPS name and logo as well as the Kier name, making it clear who should be working on site.

Parquet floor damaged

Extensive damage to the original parquet floor has been uncovered upon removal of the base of the Library archive shelving.

It is proposed to leave the damage in situ in classroom areas for carpet to cover and refurbish in the Hall and corridor areas.

Site set-up progressing

Site set-up is practically complete, with site office and canteen located in the Newspaper reading room and safety notice boards in the entrance lobby.

Hoarding Installation progresses

The external site compound area hoarding is complete, with gated access for materials and removal of waste and notices for safety performance and visitor information.

Structural Survey Issued

The results of extensive structural investigations into the existing building have been issued, the current design will need to be revised in some instances to suit the findings.

Listed Items removed for re-use

Internal screens and doors have been removed prior to the demolition works and are stored in the sub-basement car park for later refurbishment and building in to the new school. 

Protection works progressing

Existing features of the building have been protected with plywood in readiness for the demolition which commences in the New Year.

Hoarding installation commences

The external site compound areas will have a 2.4m high timber hoarding around them, with gated access for materials and removal of waste.

Holden Furniture stored

The Holden furniture which will be used within the completed school is safely stored in the sub-basement car park.