Contracts have been signed appointing Kier as the building contractor for the new Deneia Primary Academy – an important milestone for Waterbeach New Town.
The council is committed to ensuring children and young people have access to high quality schooling close to home and has been working to ensure that the planned school and on-site early years provision will meet the increased demand of that growing community.
In November 2025, detailed designs for the new school received planning permission and in January the council’s Children and Young People Committee agreed for Kier to be appointed as constructor of the Primary Academy and on-site early years facilities.
The construction contract with Kier has now been signed, with a targeted completion of June 2027. The project value is worth slightly more than £20M, including substantial funding provided by Urban&Civic through developer payments.
The new primary school will be three-form entry school and nursery, ultimately providing an additional 90 places across each year group, and 630 places in total and will be run by Anglian Learning.
The school design includes a bio solar green roof system which incorporates a multi-layer waterproofing protection. This roof will ensure requirements around site greening and Biodiversity Net Gain are met and supports the council’s ambitions related to decarbonisation and sustainability.
Current pupil forecasting data suggests the new school will be needed from September 2028, with construction expected to be complete well before the school is required to open.
Upon completion the building will be transferred to Anglian Learning allowing for the early years provision to potentially open in response to local demand, ahead of the school’s opening.
Cllr Jonny Edge, vice chair of the Children and Young People Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We’re committed to giving Cambridgeshire’s children and young people the best start in life.
“Formally appointing Kier Construction represents another key milestone in our work, supported by Urban&Civic, to provide families in the growing community of Waterbeach New Town with a high quality primary school, and early years provision, that are close to home.
Tom Martin, regional director, Kier Construction Eastern & Midlands, said: “We are delighted to be embarking on this project with Cambridgeshire County Council. We will use our extensive experience in delivering first-class educational facilities, alongside our sustainable construction ethos, to build a school that will benefit the local community and support students to achieve their full potential both through the construction period and ultimately upon completion.”
Rachael Johnston, Director of Primary Education of Anglian Learning, said: “We are tremendously excited to have reached this stage and look forward to seeing the fantastic new school building take shape over the next year.
“We expect to be offering nursery places to local families from September 2027, with the primary school opening its doors to pupils from September 2028. Over the coming months, we look forward to meeting parents and local families to share more information about how they can apply for a place.”
Parents who would like to register their interest in Deneia Primary Academy to receive updates can do so via the academy’s website.
