Finham
Park 2

Finham Park 2 Secondary School in Coventry is currently undergoing an ambitious redevelopment project as part of a strategic plan to accommodate the increasing number of students and improve the school’s facilities.

The redevelopment aims to maximise the use of existing resources while addressing long-term capacity needs. The plan includes transforming underutilised spaces, constructing new buildings, and enhancing external amenities. This project will be completed in phases and will not only expand teaching and catering facilities but will also introduce modern offices for the Multi Academy Trust (MAT) and develop high quality sports facilities, all within a challenging and complex topographical site.

The project is being carried out in phases, with Phase 1 completed in the autumn of last year by R&R and Phase 2 expected to be finalised by November or December of this year, currently on site, being led by Deeley Construction.

Sector

Education

Services

Architecture

Status

Onsite

Client

Coventry City Council

Location

Coventry

Contractors

R&R (Phase 1) & Deeley Construction (Phase 2)

Project Value

Circa £6m (for both phases)

Requirements

The project aims to expand the capacity of Finham Park 2 by converting existing Multi Academy Trust (MAT) office spaces into seven new classrooms, which will accommodate approximately 210 additional students. To support this growth, a new ‘Grab and Go’ catering pod and a covered outdoor seating area will be introduced, alleviating pressure on the school’s main kitchen.

The plan also includes redeveloping nearby derelict land, clearing the site, and relocating the MAT offices to a newly constructed, purpose-built building. Also, the new external sports facilities will be developed to address the shortage of outdoor space and meet the needs of the increased students.

Phase 1 – Completed by October 2024: This phase includes the conversion of the MAT office space into two new classrooms to provide an immediate increase in student capacity, along with the installation of the Grab and Go pod featuring an external canopy.

Phase 2 – Scheduled for completion in December 2025: This phase will involve the further conversion of existing MAT offices into five additional classrooms, the construction of a new MAT office building, and the delivery of new external sports facilities.

Soultion

Within the existing building envelope, we designed new classrooms with appropriate proportions to create effective teaching spaces that support learning. We introduced a new mechanical ventilation system to replace the previous natural ventilation. While this presented challenges, we maintained the ceiling heights and utilised the existing window configuration to replace the glazing with louvres, avoiding any planning issues.

We also transformed an underutilised area of the school grounds, adjacent to the existing kitchen, to enhance the existing dining facilities and accommodate the growth in student numbers. The Grab and Go intervention also improved both hard and soft landscaping, including the lowering of existing landscape features, which enhances passive supervision of the additional external space.

For the new MAT Offices, we employed off-site modern methods of construction (MMC) to create a single-storey building, offering a quicker delivery timeline compared to traditional construction methods. The design includes a low-pitched roof and a combination of brick and metal cladding. The new office space features both single and multi-occupancy offices for Multi Academy Trust staff, as well as three new meeting and conference rooms.

The site presents complexities, including a three-meter level difference between the main road access and the primary car park, with the proposed building situated on lower ground. Special attention was paid to vehicle access, including considerations for refuse trucks and fire appliances, to address the challenges posed by the site’s topography.

New External Sports Provision, using surplus land identified after the design of the new MAT offices, we proposed a new Sports England compliant Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) facility, ensuring maximum usability for the school throughout the year. This new facility accommodates 5-a-side football, two tennis courts, and a basketball court.