A new campus design for the 900-place secondary school will replace the existing buildings on site, have a more concise and efficient layout, and will provide a variety of learning spaces, including science and technology classrooms and improved facilities to cover sport, music, drama and SEND provision.

Oak Academy will be net zero carbon in its operation, in line with the DfE’s latest output specification requirements. It will be a thermally efficient building incorporating the use of air source heat pump technology and a full bio-solar roof incorporating photovoltaic panels. The project is funded through the DfE’s School Rebuilding Programme, which was announced in 2020, and is addressing either the rebuilding or major refurbishment of 500 schools with the highest condition need.

The building has been designed using Kier’s kSchool design platform to reflect the school’s desire to serve as the heart of the community. The H-shaped layout centres around an open dining space with glazed elevations, adjacent courtyards to encourage socialising and learning, and configurations to allow the school hall, sports hall and changing facilities to be used by the wider community after hours.

Kier is committed to providing support to the school throughout the design, build, handover and post occupancy phases to ensure that they derive the maximum benefit and most efficient operation from their new building.

Mark Norris, operations director at Kier Construction London & Southern, said: “We are delighted to be appointed by the Department for Education to create a new home for Oak Academy, one which will deliver improved, sustainable facilities for students, staff and the community.

“This innovative net zero carbon in operation project will combine improved facilities under one roof, making more efficient use of the site’s footprint and allow the school to increase its student and staff intake.

“We look forward to using our wealth of first-class education facility experience to bring this project to fruition, positively impacting the wider community and its next generation of talent.”

Oak Academy is part of the Ambitions Academies Trust, a multi-academy trust serving schools in or close to the Bournemouth and Weymouth areas. The Trust’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Principal and Directors have been involved with the project from the start.

Sian Thomas, CEO at Ambitions Academies Trust commented: “We are excited that Oak Academy will have a new school with such superb facilities. Ensuring that future generations will have a great school in which to thrive is so important and means a lot to the whole community.”

This appointment is the latest appointment for Kier on the Department for Education Construction framework and further strengthens its position as a leading provider of educational facilities across the UK. Recent appointments include Emmanuel School, a new sustainable community primary school in Havering; Carew Academy, a new SEND school in Wallington; Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School, a partial rebuild project in Wotton-under-Edge; and Thomas Keble School, a new secondary school in Gloucester.

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Caulmert, which has offices in St Asaph, Bangor, Altrincham, Nottingham, and Kent, has secured the contract with Cyngor Gwynedd to deliver civil and structural work on the new Community Campus in Bontnewydd near Caernarfon.

Funded via the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Schools’ Challenge, £12 million will finance the net zero project, which includes community facilities on the wider campus, such as a hall, office space, and car charging points. 

There are currently two buildings on the site, a community centre located in a former Victorian school, and the current Ysgol Bontnewydd in a 1970’s building. Both are part of Cyngor Gwynedd’s plan to reuse materials, reducing the carbon footprint of the new development.

Caulmert has so far completed a survey of the current school site to assess what can be repurposed prior to demolition and is set to carry out further investigations.

Reflecting Wales’ net zero carbon mandate, the firm’s analysis of the current structures will feed into the building information modelling (BIM) team’s recommendations.

David High, associate at Caulmert, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Cyngor Gwynedd again, they are a great client and we enjoyed working with them on the £9m new Ysgol Y Garnedd project in Bangor.

“A key element of this project will focus on minimising carbon emissions for the construction process, keeping sustainability front of mind.

“We welcome the opportunity to be part of such a pioneering scheme, a new net zero school in North Wales, which will no doubt set a precedent for other institutions in the region.”

Richard Farmer, project manager at Cyngor Gwynedd, added: “Bontnewydd Community Campus is an exciting and innovative opportunity for us all.

“The Welsh government has challenged us to demonstrate our vision for sustainable construction and community involvement in school construction.

“Both the design process and the final building will be exemplars and we are pleased to welcome Caulmert to the team.”

Cyngor Gwynedd also has plans to introduce as many types of renewable energy as possible, and to utilise surplus locally where achievable.

A nearby river, Afon Gwyrfai, also has the potential to provide a source for hydroelectric and water source heat pumps. 

Transport to and from classes will factor into the school’s sustainable ethos too, with safe travel links for walking or cycling to be established.

Founded in 2009, Caulmert is on track to meet an ambitious growth and development plan.

Its expertise in a variety of planning, environmental and engineering disciplines is supported by its use of BIM to a level two standard in many of its projects.

For more information visit www.caulmert.com

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Midlands-based contractor, G F Tomlinson, delivered the construction works through the Constructing West Midlands (CWM) Framework, alongside Staffordshire County Council, design and project managers Entrust and architects Arc Partnership.

The £7m two-storey school will initially welcome nursery and reception pupils before filling up year on year to accommodate 210 school pupils and 26 nursery places.

The school, which has been built in response to increased demand for places in the local area, boasts state-of-the-art classrooms, a library, large hall, dedicated design and technology room and a full production kitchen to provide healthy meals for pupils and staff.

The accommodation makes good use of natural light, ventilation, and technology to provide modern energy-efficient spaces, as well as modern outdoor formal and informal play spaces.

Anna Seward Primary School will be part of the highly successful Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), which runs six other facilities in Lichfield. An official ceremony to celebrate its opening is planned to take place in September 2023, once staff and pupils have started the new term.

G F Tomlinson provided £212,976.00 of social value added opportunities for the local community, including organised site visits and career talks with students from nearby schools and recycled 98 per cent of its construction waste generated on site which was diverted from landfill – contributing positively to the local environment and the national carbon net-zero agenda.

Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “Anna Seward Primary has been built in response to local housing developments, which have increased demand for school places in the Lichfield area. It has been great to see the school constructed over the past few months and, although the school summer holidays are currently in full swing, I’m sure many parents and pupils will be looking forward to starting their education in a brand-new school come September.”

Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are proud to have completed another project for Staffordshire County Council and continue our excellent working relationship, playing our part in expanding primary school provision in the local community.

“Seeing Anna Seward Primary School take shape over the last few months has been truly rewarding – knowing that the school will provide an exceptional learning environment for many local children.”

Richard Gill CBE, the ATLP CEO, said: “It’s hugely exciting to see many months of planning and hard work come to fruition at Anna Seward Primary, where we have assembled a first-class teaching team.

“The ATLP has built a highly respected reputation for delivering excellence in education to primary and secondary school pupils in Lichfield and beyond. Parents of Anna Seward pupils can expect such high standards.”

This is the sixth school G F Tomlinson has delivered for Staffordshire County Council to date, these include the most recent Bramshall Meadows First School in Uttoxeter and Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield last Summer.

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The scheme will deliver a world-class, sustainable, and connected life science campus bringing together companies from early-stage through to commercialisation and helping to meet the growing demand for GMP manufacturing and laboratory space in the UK. Construction is expected to start in late 2023.

The 15-building campus, which will be named ‘Elevate Quarter’, will be set around a central green with an interconnecting network of paths and open spaces. The buildings for the new campus will comprise a variety of different uses, including R&D labs and offices, GMP manufacturing facilities and flexible lab buildings, as well as training, innovation and collaboration spaces. Employee and visitor amenity spaces will include restaurants, cafes, and leisure facilities. There will be three Green Transport Hubs which will provide multi-storey car parking, bike parking and potential scooter/e-bike hire spaces.

Olivia Drew, Portfolio Manager, Real Estate and Private Markets, UBS Asset Management, said: “The delivery of the new life science campus will leverage years of unparalleled experience across both UBS and Reef. The buildings have been carefully designed to be at the cutting edge of sustainability and will facilitate world-leading R&D and advanced manufacturing. The new campus will support thousands of new jobs and boost the UK’s position as a global life sciences leader.”

Piers Slater, Joint Chief Executive, Reef Group, said: “The approval of our new life science campus in Stevenage further cements its position as Europe’s leading cluster for advanced therapies. Stevenage is ideally positioned to attract world-class talent and the campus will facilitate further collaboration between major multinationals and biotechs. The campus has been designed to allow these life science businesses to grow and scale-up over time and to create an open and accessible environment for both employees and the wider public.”

Image Credit: Hawkins Brown

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Leicester College is undertaking several new building projects to refurbish and create new facilities across its three campuses in Leicester, set for completion this summer and later in 2023.

The combined multi-million-pound projects have been funded by Leicester College and the Department for Education, The Savoy Educational Trust, and the Office for Students (OfS). The projects include:

• A new Higher Education Hub is being created at Abbey Park Campus with funding from the OfS. This will be for degree level students to use as a dual social/study space and create a greater sense of a higher education undergraduate culture. Two classrooms will be merged, refurbished, and fitted with conferencing and meeting technologies
• The art workspace for Supported Learning at Abbey Park Campus will be refurbished and updated
• The College has secured £1.6 million from the Department for Education to refurbish the Construction Block at the Freemen’s Park Campus. The project includes the relocation and redevelopment of the current electrical workshops into a two-storey workshop that will create an identifiable electrical skill teaching centre within the construction trades centre. The planned completion date is September 2024
• The Careers Hub at the Abbey Park Campus has recently been revamped, making it an even more welcoming space for adult learners and students aged over 19, improving this valuable resource for those seeking advice on future career paths
• The Engineering and Technology Centre at the Abbey Park Campus is undergoing a complete internal redesign to make way for new and updated facilities. Costing more than £3 million, the Department for Education has provided more than £1 million for the project with its T level Capital Grant. Work is due to be completed by autumn 2023
• Funded by the Office for Students, a new 400+sq metre aeronautical/advanced engineering training facility will be built at the Abbey Park Campus to enable the delivery of Level 4 and 5 higher education technical and apprenticeship programmes
• Supported by funding from the Savoy Educational Trust, two training kitchens used by students across 14 hospitality and catering programmes will be redesigned and refurbished at the College’s Freemen’s Park Campus
• A teaching area at the Abbey Park Campus is being re-purposed to create two training hospital wards that will enhance the learning experience for students on its Health and Science T level course
• A range of HE curriculum equipment is being upgraded across multiple campuses including new computers, smart displays, drone technology and VR, also funded by OfS
• At least four rooms will be upgraded to further enhance delivery and the student experience for our L4+ cohorts including a new healthcare consultation space, a computer suite and lecture rooms

Principal and CEO of Leicester College, Verity Hancock said: “The summer holidays provide an ideal opportunity to drive forwards with our ambitious infrastructure programme with some works completing during this time and some new work starting that will be completed in 2023/24. This will rebuild, refurbish and create new, state of the art facilities for our existing and new student cohorts at the College.”

Talking about the T level Capital Buildings and Facilities Improvement Grants nationally, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeship and Higher Education Robert Halfon said: “This boost of over £100 million is our latest investment in T levels. These are

robust, high-quality technical qualifications providing a unique ladder of opportunity for students to gain both classroom knowledge and on-the-job experience.

“From robotics suites that support digital T levels to simulated health wards where students can get a real sense of what it means to work in Healthcare Science, T levels will support young people into rewarding careers and back businesses with the skills of the future.”

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The two-storey building’s structure and roof are now complete, giving an idea of what the new teaching facility will look like as it moves into the next phase of construction.

To celebrate this stage in the programme a topping out ceremony was attended by members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, representatives from G F Tomlinson and school staff, including Tom Beveridge, Headteacher.

Due for completion late summer 2023, the works will provide the school with an additional seven classrooms, ancillary spaces, toilets, reception area, along with school bus parking and increased car parking for staff and visitors.

As part of the scheme, G F Tomlinson has planted a number of trees on the school grounds – with the help of Alderbrook School pupils – which will enhance the existing ecology of the site and attract insects and animals to thrive within the grounds.

Through its work with the school and the client, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, G F Tomlinson pledged to deliver £958,371 worth of social value added and has exceeded this target by delivering over £1.5million’s worth ahead of its completion later this summer. 

During the project, G F Tomlinson have supplied local labour and spend opportunities through its ‘Meet the Buyer’ events, engaging with local businesses to work on the scheme, alongside apprenticeship placements for young people and mental health awareness campaigns for all site personnel. The contractor also volunteered at the school’s ‘Life Ready Day’ on 3 July, to support students with their mock interviews, providing ‘career in construction’ workshops.

Ian Dalby, operations manager at G F Tomlinson, said: “It’s brilliant to see progress being made on Alderbrook School, which will allow for an influx of more students and provide state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance learning.

“Our commitment to social value continues to be at the forefront of all the projects that we deliver, and we’re delighted to have exceeded our target for the school. We look forward to seeing the doors of the new teaching block open to students.”

Councillor Michael Gough, Solihull Council Cabinet Member for Children and Education, said: “Ensuring that the children of Solihull have great spaces in which to learn is incredibly important to us. Having seen what’s gone up already and looked over the plans I’m really excited to see the finished building and what a difference it will make to the teachers and pupils of Alderbrook School. I’d like to thank G F Tomlinson for the excellent work they’ve done so far, and I look forward to the completion of the work and seeing the new classrooms being put to great use.”

To find out more about Alderbrook School, please visit: www.alderbrookschool.co.uk

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The pilot will see schools benefit from new low carbon heating solutions, as well as improvements to the buildings fabric to make the school more thermal efficient, all procured through Fusion21 frameworks.

Energy bills and carbon emissions in the public and higher education sectors shows that schools and universities represent 36% of total UK public sector building emissions.

The transformational work to reduce carbon emissions to make those schools selected as part of the pilot, significantly more energy efficient has recently got underway.

Where necessary, the schools’ building fabric will be improved with upgrades ranging from new electrics, roofs and ceilings to new doors and windows amid a government drive to make educational buildings greener.

The contractors were appointed via Fusion21’s Decarbonisation and Heating & Renewables frameworks which ensures housing, local authority, education, blue light and health sectors maximise social value in contracts. All Fusion21 contractors are committed to ensuring social value is embedded into their work ranging from employing locally where possible to apprenticeships and community projects.

Schools involved in the pilot and the estimated makeover value:

Today, Oliver Mooney, Head of Category at Fusion21 said: “It is fantastic to have been involved in such an important Department for Education project and to support the schools who used our framework to appoint the contractors for these transformational, multi-million pound improvement works which will vastly improve the buildings, bring huge energy savings and carbon emission reductions and ensure pupils, teachers and parents are playing an important role in decarbonisation and Net Zero ambitions”.

The UK government is committed to climate action and has set out targets in its strategy to 2050. This project will support the drive for existing school buildings to be adapted and new ones designed adequately to respond to climate change and reduce emissions.

The pilot will provide a valuable opportunity to learn more about alternative greener heating solutions and to use the learnings to consider how this can be scaled up to accelerate decarbonisation in the future.

Research found that in 2019 schools alone were spending around £630m per annum on energy – with today’s figure expected to be much higher.

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will provide £1.425 billion of grant funding for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures, including schools over the financial years 2022-2023 to 2024-2025.

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Urban Group started work last month and the 18-month project will deliver improvements to four buildings on the site.

Interior works will include reconfiguration of the space, as well as the installation of new bedrooms, wards, a kitchen and multi-purpose rooms for meetings, consulting and supervision, as well as a therapy suite, workshops and a de-escalation centre.

To help meet sustainability targets, and contribute significantly to the care and recovery environment, energy efficient LED lighting will be installed, with appropriate dimming and automatic switching. Building temperature control and heat emitters will be enhanced and the design incorporates the most recent standards in insulation, lighting, low-carbon heating.

The Bristol Hospital is for people experiencing serious mental health conditions. Working on behalf of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, the project forms part of the successful Healthier Together bid to NHS England for the consolidation of inpatient services.

Jimmy Crowe, Commercial Director, explains: “The reconfiguration and improvements to Callington Road hospital will bring together inpatient facilities, creating a centre of excellence offering a wide range of specialist therapies in a supportive environment.

“This co-location of services will enable the Trust to share specialist skills and resources on the one site, as well as achieving economies of scale.

“Working within a live environment is always a challenge and one which we have a lot of experience in successfully delivering. We will work closely with the client’s team to manage the sequencing and project timetable to fit in with the ongoing clinical needs of this operational site.”

Charlotte Scully, from Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, said: “Urban Group has extensive experience and a dedicated hands-on approach. We look forward to working with them to achieve our vision of integrated health and social care and sustainable provision of mental health inpatient services across the Bristol area.

“Supporting our community based services, the investment into Callington Road hospital will provide enhanced in-patient support bringing together a range of skills, specialisms and therapies.”

Callington Road Hospital opened in 2006, providing psychiatric inpatient and community services for Bristol and the surrounding region. The landscaped grounds include paths, water features and gardens. 

The re-design has been led by AHR Architects, which has experience in Mental Health design.

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The university plans to create an enterprise campus on the site which is located on Castle Meadow Road at the foot of Nottingham Castle and was formerly occupied by HMRC. The development has now entered its latest phase, with contractors being appointed to convert the site’s buildings and landscape to kickstart the creation of a new city centre campus for the university.

Managing director of Nottingham-based Henry Brothers Construction Ian Taylor said: “This is a hugely exciting project for the University of Nottingham and for the city, and we are proud to be playing a part in it.

“Henry Brothers has extensive experience of working with universities across the Midlands to improve their facilities. This is our first contract with the University of Nottingham, and we are really looking forward to getting on site in our home city to deliver some of the building work at Castle Meadow Campus.”

Henry Brothers Construction has been appointed to strip out and refurbish buildings D and F on the site. On completion of the work in building D later this year, the facility will be used for long-term leases for the university’s industry partners, including leading global accountancy firm KPMG.

The plan is for building F to also house industry partners – but predominantly innovative spin outs, start-ups, and scale ups on flexible licenses. It will include spaces for collaborative working, hot-desking, meeting rooms, and meeting pods. The refurbishment is due to be completed in early 2024.

Other members of the team working alongside Henry Brothers on the design and build contract are project manager Aecom, quantity surveyor Gardiner & Theobald, concept architect Hopkins, engineer Arup, architect Bond Bryan, and landscape architect Ares Design.

Henry Brothers Construction is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit out.

In partnership with its valued clients, it has a proven track record in education, defence, commercial, industrial, transport and healthcare sectors.

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The project involved the complete refurbishment of floors four and five of the Chemistry Building, along with work to the level eight plantroom, roof and external ductwork and services.

It included reorganising the layout of the two floors to create flexible lab space to feature new fume cupboards and fixed benching, dedicated write-up spaces with glazed screens for visibility throughout the lab, modern offices, and attractive break-out areas.

One of the key features of the project was the external ventilation ducts running up the side of the building which feed into floors four and five (and the other floors in future refurbishment phases).

These ducts were connected to the existing fans in the 1960s-built, seven-storey building, which houses one of the largest Chemistry departments in the UK.

Managing Director of Henry Brothers Construction Ian Taylor said:

“We were delighted to have been appointed on our first contract at The University of Manchester, which represented an expansion for Henry Brothers into the North West.

“The result of this refurbishment scheme on floors four and five of the Chemistry Building, along with work to the level eight plantroom and services, is first class.

Researchers will now be working in and enjoying modern laboratories, offices, and break-out areas. These upgraded new facilities give researchers access to some of the most up-to-date amenities, helping the University to retain its position as one of the best places to study Chemistry.”

The project was the latest in a number of schemes that Henry Brothers has delivered at UK universities and followed a £30m refurbishment scheme at the W and S Buildings at Loughborough University.

Procured through the Crown Commercial Services Framework, The University of Manchester contract marked Henry Brothers’ expansion into the North West last year following sustained growth across the Midlands.
The design team for the refurb included Gardiner and Theobold as NEC project manager, RLB as quantity surveyor, Halliday Meecham Architects, structural engineers Curtins and EDPI for M&E services, with sub-contractors William Bailey and Electract providing mechanical and electrical services for Henry Brothers.

Henry Brothers Construction is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit-out. In partnership with clients, it has a proven track record in education, defence, accommodation, commercial, industrial, transport and healthcare sectors.

For more information, visit www.henrybrothers.co.uk

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