
Plans to demolish Dover Grammar School for Boys and replace it with a new building on the same site have been given the go-ahead by Kent County Council.
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Completed in the 1930s and standing prominently over Dover, the selective secondary school caters for 860 boys aged 11-16 with a mixed gender sixth form.
With an ambition to rise from a ‘good' Ofsted to ‘outstanding', many of the school's facilities were holding it back. The buildings were falling significantly short of modern schools and unable to provide high-quality teaching environments. An assessment of the buildings found that refurbishment to remain in long-term educational use was not feasible, and the buildings could not be put to alternative viable uses alongside any new build school.
With demolition and a rebuild the only option, DHA was brought on board by the main contractor, Kier, to provide planning and transport support for the proposals, which will be funded under the Department for Education Priority Schools Programme.
The proposals, designed by Lee Evans architects, provide a four storey teaching block and attached sports hall. They received strong public support following two exhibitions and the backing of Dover District Council.
The design is the result of a collaborative process with Kent County Council and Dover District Council, and in response to the site's unique context and setting. Materials and detailing beyond the DfE's standard baseline specification have been incorporated in recognition of the need for a bespoke, high-quality design in this prominent location.
In stark contrast to the current energy inefficient school, the new building will be highly sustainable, incorporating an extensive green roof and provision for electric vehicle charging.
When completed, the pupils will transfer over to the new building, enabling the current school to be demolished with the grounds landscaped.
People who worked on this project
Mathew joined DHA as one of our original graduate intake in 2004. He has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Westminster, having previously studied Geography at the University of Birmingham.
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