Staff and children at Two Rivers CofE Primary have moved into their new ‘eco school’ buildings on the Hygge Park development in east Keynsham.
The school has nearly 60 children in Reception and Years 1 and 2 and will grow year by year, becoming open to all age groups from September 2026 with space for up to 420 pupils.
The new Two Rivers Church of England Primary School has been developed to very strict environmental standards set by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany. Bath & North East Somerset Council has contributed nearly £1m, mostly from contributions it has received from housing developers, for alterations to the design to help create a building that has low impact on the environment and high energy efficiency.
Two Rivers School produces its own energy from photovoltaic panels on the roof. Other features include:
- A very airtight form of construction
- High levels of insulation with no thermal bridging
- High performance triple glazed windows and doors with insulated frames
- A mechanical ventilation system incorporating heat recovery systems
- Two electric air source heat pumps
- Low energy building services and equipment
- All electric services (no gas supply to the building)
Headteacher Claire Graham said the children and staff were delighted with their new surroundings after moving in at the start of November. “We are very lucky to have such a wonderful environment where children feel safe, supported and inspired to become inquisitive learners. We look forward to more opportunities to show it off to our community following our first successful open days.”
Futura Learning Partnership chief operating officer, Tim Howes, added “The decision to build in high levels of energy efficiency is proving wise in the short term, given the massive rise in fuel bills. The use of renewable power sources is also an important investment in our young people and our planet.
“Buildings of such exceptional quality will help our pupils learn and appreciate the importance of protecting our environment for future generations.”