Sunderland to open £13m Silver Birch Primary next year

Sunderland City Council has revealed that a new £13m primary school is under construction in the city to replace Thorney Close Primary for the 2026 academic year. 

Located on Shaftoe Road, Silver Birch Primary will accommodate up to 315 pupils and include a nursery and a unit for children with hearing impairments. The school is being built about 250 metres from the existing Thorney Close site, on land formerly occupied by Sunningdale School for children with severe and multiple learning difficulties. 

Sunningdale moved to a new purpose-built facility at Clinton Place, Doxford, in 2021.

The project forms part of Sunderland City Council and Together for Children’s ongoing £32m investment programme in school buildings and facilities across the city.

Kimberley Richardson, director of education at Together for Children, said: “This new school – Silver Birch Primary – is another example of our commitment to seeing that every community has the very best facilities. It’s about providing pupils and staff with the most modern facilities that improve and strengthen the learning experience.”

The school is being constructed on a six-and-a-half-acre site and is due to open for the 2026 academic year. It will include a new playing field built to Sport England standards.

Catherine Jones, headteacher of Thorney Close Primary and future head of Silver Birch Primary, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has worked on the design and planning of the new school. With the groundworks and construction underway, it’s a big thanks to the contractors as we all look forward to seeing the building take shape and moving in for the next school year.”

Silver Birch was designed by the council’s in-house capital projects team and is being delivered by regional firm Brims Construction, which was awarded the contract earlier this year.

Matt Kemp, project manager at Brims Construction, added: “Our first task was to clear several years’ worth of plant and vegetation overgrowth, making the area safe and ready for construction. We are now progressing with the installation of drainage systems and foundations for the new school building, which will be followed by the erection of the steel frame.”

Sunderland City Council approved planning permission for the project in June 2024. The site will include four electric vehicle charging bays and 80 cycle racks for pupils, staff and visitors.