Thorp Academy
Sector: Education
Framework: SCAPE Construction
Client: North Education Trust and Gateshead Council
Project value: £5.6m
“Morgan Sindall set the benchmark for what meaningful social value delivery should look like in our communities. Their commitment is never tokenistic or transactional; it is deeply rooted in genuine partnership, shared outcomes, and a clear understanding of the needs of our children, schools, communities and neighbourhoods."
Sam Laing
Gateshead Council
The £5.6m extension at Thorp Academy has created a modern learning environment designed to accommodate the growing local student population and support the academy’s future growth.
The new facilities include 10 classrooms, a dining hall, expanded offices and storage, additional toilets and a plant room.
Morgan Sindall Construction delivered the accelerated project on behalf of the Northern Education Trust (NET) through the SCAPE Construction Framework.
Working on a live school site required close collaboration between the project team, academy staff and subcontractors to manage risk and protect pupils. During the concrete phase, the team coordinated the arrival of 22 delivery wagons, while additional academy staff supported pupil safety throughout the process.
To minimise disruption to pupils and their learning, the team scheduled key tie-in works to the existing building during the summer holidays.
The project was handed over on time in December 2025, with pupils moving into the new building in the January term.
Social value delivery
As part of Morgan Sindall’s commitment to delivering social value, a range of community and educational initiatives supporting Gateshead Council's priorities around education, employability and environmental sustainability were delivered alongside the project.
Regular "Constructing the Curriculum" sessions were delivered with students studying construction at Thorp Academy, providing insight into industry pathways and practical learning opportunities. The team also worked with local stakeholders to improve community facilities, removing a raised planter, tidying playing fields and nature areas at Crookhill Primary School, and delivering targeted improvements at Ryton Rugby Club, including the construction of a concrete slab to support grounds maintenance activities.
Working alongside the school's eco-group, council officers and Brighten Ryton, the project developed proposals for improvements to Dovers Pond and the nearby orchard, creating opportunities for ecosystem learning whilst enhancing local green spaces and a heritage asset adjacent to the school. To further reduce environmental impact, structural steel containing 65% Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) content was specified, reducing embodied carbon by 37 tonnes CO₂e.
In addition, five apprentices including a PlanBee apprentice, were employed on-site, careers support was delivered through interviews with Year 8 students, a Year 9 assembly, and ongoing fortnightly construction curriculum workshops and site tours and work placements were also offered to students throughout the programme. Thorp Academy’s Student Voice group was supported with a £2,000 community project fund donation, they chose to assist High Spen Primary School with nursery expansion plans.
In total, Morgan Sindall generated £3.53m in social value, equivalent to 62.5% of the project's value.
"In my nearly 20 year career I have worked with numerous organisations purporting to deliver social value, and Morgan Sindall stand out as an example of best practice. They have consistently gone above and beyond ‘targets on a page’ to deliver again and again.”
Sam Laing
Gateshead Council
"We’re proud to support the delivery of this much-needed expansion at Thorp Academy through our SCAPE Construction framework. By enabling fast, compliant procurement and fostering strong collaboration between Northern Education Trust and Morgan Sindall Construction, this project is not only creating high-quality learning spaces for students but also delivering real social value for the wider community. It’s a great example of how public sector investment can be maximised to support both educational outcomes and local impact.”
Mark Robinson
Group Chief Executive, SCAPE
Social value outcomes
This project has been submitted by Morgan Sindall as part of the collaborative Social Value in Construction Benchmarking Report. This report captures the latest insight into the regional and national trends in social value delivery, learn more here.
5
apprentices
£3.53m
social value generation
154
volunteering hours
£9,100
charitable donations
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Meet the lead:
Ian Towlson
Senior Framework Manager | Construction
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Social Value in Construction
Benchmarking Report
SCAPE's annual report in collaboration with Social Value Portal that captures the latest insight into the regional and national trends in social value delivery.