Work has started on site at Lydiate Primary School in Sefton, where Morgan Sindall Construction is building a new school for pupils, staff and the wider Lydiate community on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE).
The new building replaces the existing 1950s school, which is in a poor state of repair with significant structural issues and outdated building services.
In its place, Morgan Sindall will deliver a modern, sustainable two storey primary school with much improved teaching accommodation, external learning and play areas, sports provision, parking and landscaping. The project was procured through the DfE Construction Framework North West.
The redevelopment will allow the school to grow from one form of entry to two, creating additional places for local families as demand in the area continues to rise Pupils will benefit from a dedicated dance studio, a new forest school area, spaces for outdoor learning, upgraded technology and new landscaping across the grounds. A separate drop off entrance has been designed into the scheme to ease morning congestion and make the school gates safer and easier for families.
The school will stay open throughout the build. With the site sitting within a residential area, the team has planned the works around the school day, with safety and security measures in place for pupils, staff and neighbouring residents, and regular communication with the local community as work progresses.
Planning permission was secured in June 2026, following an application prepared by Pozzoni, the Architect for the scheme. The wider Lydiate project team also includes Mott MacDonald, Clancy Consulting, Tace and Ares.
Steven Gregory, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “Getting on site is the moment this project becomes real for the school and for Lydiate. The existing building has served its community well, but what we are building in its place will provide an even better place to teach and learn. The dance studio, the forest school and the outdoor learning spaces give staff far more to work with, and the new drop off arrangement will make a practical difference to families every morning. Expanding to two forms of entry also means more local children can get a place at their local school.
“This is an investment in Lydiate as much as it is in the school, and there is real excitement here about what the new building will offer. Working through the DfE Construction Framework North West has let us engage early with the school and the department, and the school stays open while we build, so we will be working closely with staff, families and neighbours to keep disruption down and get this delivered safely.”
Morgan Sindall’s approach relies on early engagement with schools and trusts through its Client Engagement Meeting process, alongside its Intelligent Solutions strategy, which uses digital tools to inform design decisions, reduce embodied carbon and give greater certainty over programme and cost. Social value is built into the framework through T Levels, apprenticeships, employment and training opportunities, and work with local SMEs.
The project adds to Morgan Sindall’s portfolio of schools delivered for the DfE in the North West, which includes Pear Tree Academy in Stockport and Newhouse Academy in Heywood, both completed in 2024, Dixons Newall Green Academy in Wythenshawe and Star Radcliffe Academy, and Riverside School on the Wirral, which starts on site next year. The programme covers both mainstream and SEND provision, and is shaped around the DfE’s objectives of net zero carbon in operation, value for money and educational quality.
