Thoresby Vale Primary Academy

Designed by Lungfish Architects and delivered by Stepnell Construction for Harworth Group, Diverse Academies Trust and Nottinghamshire County Council, it is the centrepiece of an an 800-home regeneration scheme at the former Thoresby colliery site.

The school comprises four single-storey pavilions, where internal corridors and connectivity are replaced with external pathways, providing a direct connection to nature. Classrooms have direct access to outdoor learning spaces, including food-growing areas and an orchard, embedding environmental awareness, ecology and sustainability into everyday learning.

Completed on time and within budget, the project showcases innovative MMC in education design, combining low-carbon offsite construction with forest-school principles. Designed to reduce embodied and operational carbon, natural daylight is maximised to support pupil wellbeing, and create a future-proof and flexible learning environment.

Bringing the site back to life 10 years after the mine’s closure, the school provides a warm and nurturing environment for 210 pupils, as well as a carbon-conscious and sustainable future for the wider community.