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Thomas Deacon Academy - Model 01
Credit: Foster + Partners
Thomas Deacon Academy 01
Photographer: Luke Hayes
Thomas Deacon Academy 02
Photographer: Luke Hayes
Thomas Deacon Academy 03
Photographer: Luke Hayes
Thomas Deacon Academy 04
Photographer: Luke Hayes

Thomas Deacon Academy, Peterborough, UK

Client Department for Education and Skills and Local Sponsors

Architect Foster and Partners

Services Engaged Cost Management
Improving achievement and raising expectations. Social interaction and collective study. A sense of community in an outstanding new learning environment.

The Thomas Deacon Academy was conceived as part of the LEA’s citywide reorganisation of secondary schools. The activities of two existing schools and one Community College will merge, providing facilities for 2200 students. The Academy will specialise in mathematics and science, adopting a university-type structure with six units or ‘colleges’ of 365 pupils.

This will be the UK’s largest Academy, occupying 13.4 hectares to the north of Peterborough’s city centre, located on the site of the merging Deacon’s School. The £38 million facility is sponsored by Deacon’s Trust and Perkins Engines.

The school will occupy a total internal floor space of 18,197 square meters, arranged over three levels. A concourse level will run through the middle of the building, serving as the main communication and circulation level.

The unique geometry and engineering of the roof is designed to reflect the Academy's specialised subjects of mathematics and science. A sports hall, multi-media research centre and arts theatre are important elements of the provision. Construction work has started on site and completion of the main building is scheduled for May 2007. Final completion of the site is due at the end of 2007.

Davis Langdon’s role has focused on a number of key challenges. The existing school must remain operational throughout the construction stage, necessitating organisation and planning of the impact on both the school community and the surrounding environment.

Throughout, we are making good use of value engineering skills: one example is the use of top-soil from the site. Rather than incur additional costs for removing and replacing the soil at a later date, we recommended putting it in a corner of the site and landscaping it, so that it did not become an eyesore for local residents. This has saved £150,000 on transport and delivery costs.

The Academy will become a leader in innovation, adopting radical approaches to the way it addresses underachievement and promotes excellence. At Davis Langdon we have significant expertise in working on multi-stakeholder education projects, satisfying a variety of funding and procurement approaches, and we are pleased to contribute to this exciting project.