Primary Schools, Shoreham

Project
Primary Schools, Shoreham

Client
Kier for West Sussex County Council

Value
£450k

Duration
5 Months


The Brief

  • Both schools had grown exponentially over the years, and urgently needed to create more space in order to ensure that they were able to meet the needs of their students and staff, while also fitting with regulatory standards.
  • As with many schools, the budget was tight, as was the timescale. Existing spaces needed to be refurbished and adapted to meet the needs of the school. There was no room for compromise on quality.
  • Hawes Construction Group was contracted to work on both schools, as we were renowned for our specialist expertise, as well as our consideration and respect for the safety of others.
  • We consulted closely with both schools to ensure that the project met their expectations and fulfilled all of their requests.
  • We knew that we would be able to meet the needs of the schools, and do so within the guidelines, giving them a whole new look that would refresh the learning environments.

Our Solution

  • Seeing as the two schools are in close proximity, we decided to store materials at one school for easy transport between the two sites. This meant that we were able to efficiently run the two projects simultaneously, while minimising disruption.
  • Working safety practices are paramount for us, so when working in schools we ensure that our whole workforce has been fully DBS checked. To keep on top of this, we have a live system which is constantly being updated, working in tandem with West Sussex County Council.
  • To minimise disruption to the children’s learning, we worked outside of school hours whenever possible.
  • On both sites, we used specialist techniques such as diamond drilling, which we used to create service holes for ducts.

St Nicolas and St Mary CE Primary School

  • The main hall could not accommodate the rapidly expanding student population, making whole school assemblies impossible, lunchtimes challenging, and PE lessons cramped.
  • To solve this problem, we extended the assembly hall with new curtain walling, and then formed a fire-rated corridor running adjacent to the hall.
  • We built a brand-new classroom for learning resources and music lessons, with sound-proofed transparent timber-framed acoustic screens, where a whole class could have an instrumental lesson with minimal disruption to other classes.
  • New child-friendly accessible toilets were installed, with integral plumbing systems.
  • In two classrooms, we installed kitchenettes, which could be used for washing items such as paint brushes, therefore saving pupils and staff time.
  • We also fitted classroom flooring and internal doors, as well as decoration throughout, revitalising the look of the school.

Buckingham Park Primary School

  • Buckingham Park Primary School needed an updated and modernised look.
  • In the lobby, we removed the existing porch and replaced it with a brand new one, meaning that the lobby now had automatic entrance doors and fire doors to adjacent offices. The space already had a completely different look and feel, and was much more user-friendly.
  • To give the rest of the school an upgrade, we reworked key areas, installing suspended ceilings in various rooms, and putting in new walls to immediately create storage space.
  • We installed new integral plumbing systems and cubicle systems in the toilet facilities.
  • Our attention to detail allowed us to finish the project to a high standard even on a tight budget, going so far as to remove staples from noticeboards so that they could be redecorated.

The Result

  • Hawes Construction Group were able to deliver both projects on time and on budget, to a high standard, thanks to our meticulous planning, project management, and expertise.
  • We are immensely proud to have given the staff and pupils at both schools a renovation that will improve their working and learning environment, having revitalised their existing spaces.
  • We completed both projects with minimal disruption to the daily workings of the schools.
  • Both projects were ready to use immediately after we finished our work, so that staff and students could make the most of their new working environment.

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