Cobblers Lane School - Pontefract
Kingspan Insulation
Kingspan Group Kingspan Insulation

Cobblers Lane School - Pontefract

A Kingspan Insulation roofing system, that provides insulation and drainage for flat roofs in one easy-to-install package, is top of the class at a school in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

The design for the £3.5m Cobblers Lane Primary School is based on the Exemplar Primary School design by architects Walters and Cohen, a commission the practice won in the ‘Schools for the Future’ competition run by the Department for Children, Families and Schools (DCFS).

Kingspan Thermataper TT46 LPC/FM high performance rigid urethane insulation was installed by QM Roofing Ltd on the building’s 2,000 m2 roof. As a company constantly striving to develop revolutionary products for the construction industry, Kingspan emphasises the ease of installation for the system, a claim borne out by the contractors. Brian Baldwin, Director of QM Roofing said:

"We've installed countless Kingspan tapered roofs and we find the system excellent to work with and very easy to install. The roof at Cobblers Lane was architect specified and had to incorporate several roof lights over four different roof areas, which was potentially tricky. However, Thermataper roofing comes with instruction drawings from Kingspan Insulation, and our teams are very experienced with the system so we were finished on schedule without any hitches."

Cobblers Lane was built on sustainable principles, which Thermataper’s incredible energy saving credentials, could only enhance.

In addition, Thermataper’s high performance rigid urethane boards prevent water ponding, the most common cause of flat roof failure, through integral roof falls of between 1:60 and 1:120, providing an insulation and drainage solution in one package.

The 315-place Cobblers Lane Primary School replaces the old Cobblers Lane Infant and Junior Schools formerly on the same site. In consultation with Wakefield District Council, teachers and the local community, Walters and Cohen designed a user-friendly building for a flourishing school community. At its centre is a flexible multi-purpose space, dubbed ‘the heart’, which is accessible from all classrooms and can be combined with the hall for larger community events.

'Exemplar' designs create benchmarks for schools. The Schools for the Future competition is one of a number of initiatives from the DCFS to encourage excellence and ensure that investment in new schools results in well-designed buildings, which benefit pupils, staff and the wider community.

The school was officially opened in July 2008 by the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.