A new primary school and more than 100 private rental apartments are in the pipeline in Stratford.

Maccreanor Lavington and Erect Architecture have been selected to work with Populo Living on the project for the redevelopment of Carpenters Primary School.

The project will see the replacement of the school with a new building and more than 100 build-to-rent (BTR) apartments.

The income from these BTR homes will subsidise the school’s redevelopment, which Populo Living said makes the project cost-effective for both Newham Council and the Department for Education.

The designs will replace the current single-storey building with a modern, energy-efficient school that has the capacity to expand.

The new two-form entry school will be capable of future expansion to a three-form entry, Populo Living said.

The school will be built with minimal disruption to classes, they added.

Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham, said: "The plans for Carpenters School are a smart solution for a dated building, with enough space to add new homes that will help fund the project – all without impacting students’ experiences.

"This approach promises a fantastic outcome for local families, giving children a school that's ready for future growth while adding much-needed homes in Newham.

"It’s a flexible, forward-thinking way to achieve our goals, especially with today’s financial challenges, and we’re excited to see the designs come to life for this innovative project."

Communal spaces will complement the adjacent planned community centre at James Riley Point, according to Populo Living.

The buildings will allow access to outdoor space for all pupils, with activity areas arranged under and around existing and new trees.

The landscape design is being led by play specialists Erect, who previously delivered the Tumbling Bay Playground at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The project site sits next to the wider Carpenters Estate.

As Newham’s wholly owned development company, Populo Living will oversee the delivery of the school and new apartments.

A planning application is expected to be submitted in late 2025.

The application is independent of the wider Carpenters Estate Masterplan.

Nick Clough, Carpenters project director at Populo Living, said: "Populo Living is delighted to be moving forward with the transformation of this site, delivering a modern sustainable fit-for-purpose school for the next generation, whilst making better use of the site and delivering valuable new homes.

"Through replacing the poorly laid out single storey school, which is at the end of its life, with a new school reaching three storeys in height, we are able to provide new school buildings and larger areas of enhanced external play provision for the children."