01 November 2012
Foremans Helps Sutton Primary School Meet Increasing Demand for Places
Demographic changes and rising birth rates across the UK have resulted in a huge increase in the demand for primary school places. As a result, many schools are turning to modular construction as a solution to expand or redevelop primary teaching accommodation.
In Sutton, the Ofsted 'outstanding' Avenue Primary School needs to increase its capacity by around 30 per cent, from 682 to 892 pupils by 2016 to meet the growing demand for reception places. In order to accommodate an additional 88 pupils for the 2012/13 academic year in the first phase in its expansion, and to provide interim classrooms for the next four years while other buildings on the site are refurbished and redeveloped, Foremans Relocatable Building Systems has supplied two teaching blocks at the school.
Foremans had to deliver the buildings to a very tight timescale - just six weeks from receipt of order - in time for the start of the new school year. This was successfully achieved.
The buildings were pre-owned double classroom blocks purchased from a school in the North West. They were broken down to their modular components, reassembled and refurbished at the Foremans production centre in East Yorkshire, before being installed at Avenue Primary School.
Commenting on the project, Alex Clark, Head Teacher at Avenue Primary School said, "We needed four interim classrooms for the phased expansion of our school. Foremans was actually the only company which could deliver this project in the required timescale. Their approach also appealed to us because it is more sustainable as the building modules are recycled and refurbished and making it more cost effective."
"The classrooms are finished to a very high standard and you would never know these buildings aren't new. We like their size and their robust, permanent feel - they are certainly completely different from the temporary classrooms of old."
"Foremans made this project very straightforward. It was managed effectively and professionally, delivered to a challenging deadline and provided a solution for our capacity requirements that really worked for us."
Foremans specialises in recycling steel-framed modular buildings. In order to meet individual project requirements and budgets, the buildings can be supplied decorated or 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.
The advantages of this approach include:
- 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 for complete flexibility should local requirements change
- Off-site working is maximised for safer, quieter and cleaner sites and reduced disruption to teaching during construction
- High quality steel-framed modular buildings are built to last
- The buildings require fewer ground works than site-based construction - further reducing cost, disruption and programme times.
For further information about recycled modular buildings for schools, academies and colleges, visit www.foremansbuildings.info, email info@foremansbuildings.co.uk, or call 01964 544344.
Editor's Notes
1. Foremans offers the UK's largest selection of recycled Portakabin buildings available from stock. It provides a nationwide service from its production and operational centres in East Yorkshire and Hemel Hempstead.
2. The company offers 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.
