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Grace Cook Primary School is named after Stowmarket’s pioneering female astronomer, an expert on meteors and comets, providing both a strong link to the local history and community together with an inspirational role model for the pupils.
The school is a two-storey, one-form entry school with an 8 classrooms. It offers 210 places with a separate pre-school and nursery with 60 places.
A2O was appointed to install the SFS and non-combustible cladding panels to the 180m2 double-height main hall and PE store, kitchen, servery and plant room.
The contract included curtain walling to north and south entrances and doors and windows with spandrel panels of back-painted glass to the classroom block, which was built in traditional brickwork by others.
The school welcomed its first students in September 2022.
Photo Credits: Rockpanel – Mainspring Marketing – Michael Cameron Photography
The cladding contract also included curtain walling, doors and windows with back-painted glass.
The ‘steel’ colour cladding panels had to be aligned precisely with the patterned bands of traditional brickwork on the classroom block, built by others.
There were a variety of options for high quality non-combustible panels, with finishes reflecting bright lights of the solar system, meteors and comets.
The programme was tight to guarantee opening in time for the new school year in September.
Fire safety was, of course, paramount for the school and its community.
A2O coordinated the design and contracted a specialist to install the glazing components.
A2O closely coordinated the installation of both the adjoining panels and the glazing with the other parties working on the classroom brickwork.
Rockpanel Elemental Metals Classic Gold and Steel were chosen. The colour and finish of the ‘steel’ panels complements with the glazing framework.
Rockpanel also offered a shorter lead-in time than the alternative cladding panel systems available.
The facades were installed to passive fire protection standard LPS 1531.
Registered in England 4344380