Net-zero school welcomes first pupils

The new school has banks of solar panels and ground source heat pumps

A new net-zero carbon secondary school building has opened in Leicester.

Brook Mead Academy's new three-storey building in Garland Crescent features solar panels, air source heat pumps and a natural ventilation system.

The energy-efficient design coupled with on-site renewable energy allows the school to fully offset any carbon emissions, said principal Rita Hindocha.

She added: "We are thrilled to have such a magnificent building which matches the ambition we have for our students."

The new school received planning permission in 2023 and has since been built on the site of former allotments.

It replaces the temporary Brook Mead School building, in St Augustine Road, Leicester.

To allow construction, 88,000 tonnes of earth had to be removed to level the ground while the scale of the project meant that, at the height of construction, 160 workers were on site each day.

The school will accommodate 1,200 pupils and 128 members of staff.