1930s school gets 21st century sustainable upgrade

A primary school in Wiltshire has been given a net zero boost thanks to government funding.

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary in Malmesbury was built in 1932 and until recently relied on a boiler more than 20 years old to keep pupils and staff warm.

However, a grant worth almost £100,000 from Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), which we administer, has been transformational.

The aging boiler has been replaced with modern air-source heat pumps.

Headteacher, Paul Bacon, told us: “As autumn begins, our new heat pumps are already keeping the school comfortable and warm.

“We are excited and looking forward to seeing how it will perform once winter arrives.”

Improvements to the school building have also been made to ensure maximum energy efficiency and solar panels have been installed.

The total direct carbon savings are estimated to be 14 tonnes each year and the cost of the annual energy bill cut by £8,000.

The projected carbon savings are the equivalent emissions of a car travelling from London to Glasgow more than 370 times*.

Mr Bacon said: “Our PSDS money – and support from the team at Salix – means we’ve been able to improve the whole school experience for our pupils and staff.

“We no longer need to rely on a heating system which is twice the age of some the eldest children in school, and we’re saving money too.”

Alex Pierre-Fallman, our client support officer, who has supported St Josephs, said: “It has been a pleasure working with the school.

“All credit must go to the leadership team which has had to overcome several challenges to see the scheme through to successful completion.

The upgrade at St Joseph’s is one of our smallest PSDS projects but wasn’t without its challenges, including the collapse of a contractor.

Despite these hurdles, the school’s leadership team, supported by the Diocese of Clifton, persevered with the scheme to ensure its successful completion.

Alex said: “It demonstrates what is possible, even in a smaller public sector organisation without huge resources at its disposal.

“I hope it inspires others to apply to the PSDS scheme.”

The work at St Joseph’s has also made a difference to the wider community in Malmesbury which has ambitions to be the first town in England to be carbon neutral.

Paul Bacon said: “We’re pleased that we’re able to contribute to this important goal.”

*Carbon calculations have been generated through a tool created by our carbon and technical experts here at Salix.  The intention is to provide carbon savings estimates to aid with a common understanding of emission data and statistics. These estimates are approximate it is not recommended to use this tool for formal carbon emissions analysis.  The tool uses UK government conversion factors alongside emissions estimates sourced from various studies, but it is possible a margin of error may exist. For more information about the formulas and methodology used in this tool, please contact us at [email protected]. E&OE.