Strzala Architects were appointed by Warrington Borough Council to deliver the Great Sankey Primary School project at the same time as Chapelford Primary School, working on both projects simultaneously using different project teams in house who worked collaboratively, sharing successful ideas between both schemes.

The site at Great Sankey was an undulating, narrow strip of land adjacent to Sankey High School. To respond to this site the classrooms were stacked over two floors and extended across the site in a staggered arrangement to suit the topography and curvature of the site boundary. At the end closest to the entrance a two storey block holds the double height school hall and staff / administration facilities.

Externally playgrounds for different ages groups are arranged along a single side of the building, arranged so that classrooms at ground floor level have convenient level access straight onto the outside spaces.

Internally the narrow footprint maximises natural daylight penetration to all areas of the school including circulation corridors which have multiple break out spaces for informal teaching and library spaces throughout the school.