07 June 2012
Foremans Recycled Modular Buildings for One of UK's First Primary Academies and Free Schools
One of the UK's first primary schools to achieve Academy status has used a highly sustainable recycled modular building solution from Foremans Relocatable Building Systems to expand its classroom facilities.
As an Academy, Cuckoo Hall in the London Borough of Enfield is independent from the local authority and directly accountable to the Department for Education. It has been recognised twice by Ofsted as outstanding, with achievements well in excess of national standards.
The school is managed by Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust, which in response to the high demand for places, has opened a new sister primary school, Woodpecker Hall Primary Academy, under the Government's free schools programme. In order to accommodate the new school's reception and nursery classes until its own building is completed on an adjacent site, Foremans has provided additional teaching facilities at Cuckoo Hall.
"Cuckoo Hall is in such high demand, that we had 270 applications last year for 120 places. And with the predicted growth in birth rates in surrounding areas, this demand looks set to continue", said Simon Ward, Business Director at Cuckoo Hall Academy.
"The new buildings have given us a highly cost-effective interim solution which certainly doesn't look like a temporary facility. The finished classrooms have surpassed all our expectations, delivered excellent value for money and are just what we were looking to achieve."
He added, "We are very pleased with Foremans' performance. We like the way the buildings look and feel, and would definitely recommend the approach to other schools, academies and local authorities."
Foremans has supplied 10 recycled steel-framed modules at Cuckoo Hall which have been configured as two adjacent teaching blocks to accommodate 120 children in three classrooms and one shared teaching space. The buildings, which are being hired from Foremans for an initial 12 months, are constructed to permanent standards and feature a decked area, timber cladding and a covered walkway to the main school.
Foremans completed the project in just nine weeks from receipt of order, helping to address the place planning issues in this London borough, and undertook all foundations, services, decking, steps and ramps, fitting out and cladding installation.
Commenting on the project, Mike Williams, Managing Director of Foremans, said, "This project successfully demonstrates how we can deliver affordable, flexible teaching accommodation in less time to help schools address serious place planning issues - and our ability to provide a higher degree of standardisation, which the Government is calling for."
All Foremans' recycled modular buildings are fully refurbished with new windows, wall linings, partitions, mechanical and electrical services, doors, flooring, and cladding, to create high quality accommodation for a wide variety of interim and permanent education applications.
For further information about recycled and refurbished modular buildings for schools, academies and colleges, visit www.foremansbuildings.info, email info@foremansbuildings.co.uk, or call 01964 544344.
Editor's Notes
1. The advantages of recycled and refurbished modular buildings for schools, colleges and sixth form centres include:
- A bespoke design to meet specific project and site requirements
- Programme times reduced by up to 70 per cent
- A highly cost-effective alternative to new build
- The buildings can easily be expanded, reconfigured or removed if teaching requirements change
- Off-site working is maximised for safer, quieter and cleaner sites and reduced disruption to teaching
- High quality steel-framed modular buildings are built to last and require fewer ground works than traditional site-based construction - further reducing cost, disruption and programme times.
2. Foremans offers the UK's largest selection of refurbished Portakabin buildings available from stock. It provides a nationwide service from its production and operational centres in East Yorkshire and Hemel Hempstead.
3. The company has a full range of construction services, including planning advice and submissions, Building Regulations approvals, funding options, and all aspects of the building design, space planning, project management, ground works, fitting out, delivery, site installation, testing and commissioning.
