Falling within the Roman Catholic parish of Christ the King, Newton Heath, Christ the King RC Primary School is part of the Diocese of Salford and provides education for over 400 pupils.
In June 2025, it was confirmed that Christ the King would participate in the Great British Energy Solar Partnership (GBESP), a national programme supporting schools and colleges on their journey to net zero.
The programme includes a range of supportive initiatives to help schools reduce energy use and carbon emissions, such as a Behaviour Change Programme with a dedicated Climate Action Advisor, alongside potential fully grant-funded, sustainability-themed capital interventions, including solar PV installations.
The site was deemed suitable for the installation of solar PV, and following successful funding approval from LocatED and the Department for Education (DfE), the installation was completed at the end of September 2025. This made Christ the King one of the very first GBESP sites to be completed.
While Barker regularly delivers solar PV installations during term time, the GBESP programme operates to a tight schedule, with all installations required to be completed by the end of February 2026 to meet funding deadlines.
As a result, the installation at Christ the King was carefully planned and delivered during the Autumn term within a live school environment. The project delivery team worked closely with the school to ensure the installation was completed safely and efficiently, with no disruption to daily operations.
In addition, the Consortium worked with multiple stakeholders to secure the necessary consents from both the school and the Diocese.
The school is now generating its own clean energy on site through a 49.82kWp solar PV system, which is anticipated to save approximately 8 tonnes of carbon annually, equivalent to planting 376 trees.
To date, the system has generated over 3MWh of energy, supplying more than 40% of the school’s total electricity demand. This figure is expected to increase during sunnier months.
Electricity bills are predicted to reduce by approximately 46%, equating to an annual saving of around £7,200, which can be reinvested into teaching and learning. At certain times – particularly during out-of-hours periods and weekends – the system generates sufficient power for the site to operate “off grid,” meaning no electricity is drawn from the national grid.
“We are delighted to see Christ the King leading and benefiting from the GBESP programme. This initiative builds upon the Diocese’s ongoing efforts to utilise sustainability funding to provide solar PV across our school estate.
The solar installation at Christ the King not only contributes to a more sustainable future but also serves as a practical example for our students of the importance of environmental stewardship and caring for our common home.”
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