Whyteleafe Flood Resilience Project wins Education Estates Award 2026

Ground Control’s Landscape Design Team has won the Inspiring Learning Spaces Award at the Education Estates Awards 2026 for its innovative Whyteleafe Primary School Flood Resilience Project.

Presented on 20 October 2026, the award recognises Ground Control’s transformation of Whyteleafe Primary School’s grounds into a pioneering ‘Sponge School’, where climate resilience, outdoor learning, play, biodiversity and pupil wellbeing come together. The Inspiring Learning Spaces Award highlights projects that excel in creating educational environments to enrich learning, support student wellbeing, and inspire future generations.

The achievement celebrates a project that demonstrates how landscape design can turn essential infrastructure into an inspiring and engaging educational environment.

Turning flood resilience into a learning opportunity

Whyteleafe Primary School had experienced serious flooding, resulting in emergency evacuations and significant disruption to learning. The challenge was not simply to improve the school’s resilience, but to create a solution that would deliver lasting benefits for pupils.

Ground Control transformed underused areas of the school grounds into interconnected blue-green infrastructure. Nature-based Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), including rain gardens, bioswales and SuDS planters, work alongside underground attenuation to capture and manage stormwater.

The revitalised grounds can store 233m³ of water, helping to protect the school and wider drainage catchment while creating an environment that brings water management to life for pupils.

Importantly, the design goes far beyond flood protection. A biodiversity pond, sensory and therapeutic gardens, outdoor learning and mindfulness spaces, Forest School areas and natural play features provide pupils with new opportunities to learn, play and connect with nature.

Matt Goddard, Head of Design at Ground Control, said: