Together with the council and the academy sponsor, Spencer Academies Trust, we have worked collaboratively to design a one form-entry primary school that will provide a high-quality and inspiring learning environment. Using our experience and expertise in offsite construction and modular design, we worked to develop a solution for the council that not only created a striking new school but enabled the project to be delivered efficiently within budget and tight timescales.

Through comprehensive engagement meetings, the project was submitted to planning officials within six weeks of the first meeting. Planning permission was granted in August 2019 with work commencing in December. The school was completed in July 2020 – ahead of schedule and under budget, despite the restrictions and challenges posed by COVID-19 - ready for the September term.

As a one form-entry primary school, the new Highfields Spencer Academy offers 210 pupil places and a 26-place nursery. The single-storey school is of modular design with 45 pre-fabricated modules constructed offsite. This allowed for the construction to run concurrently with the groundworks, shortening the overall construction period. This approach also benefitted the local community, which was already experiencing a high volume of construction traffic, as the majority of construction will be offsite, keeping disruption to the site and surrounding areas to a minimum.

Spencer Academies Trust believe that children learn best when they are engaged in an exciting, creative and tailored curriculum. With that in mind, our design for the school boasts eight spacious classrooms, a landscape garden and a ‘habitat area’ for a biodiverse outdoor learning zone, allowing the pupils to engage and interact with the external environment, increasing their stimulation and creating the opportunity for them to gain practical hands-on learning.

Internally, the large classrooms will feature a modern and bright design throughout, creating positive and engaging learning environments. The building will provide an effective healthy indoor environment with natural daylighting and ventilation along with thermal comfort and acoustics which have been designed to support educational attainment. Outside, the school has great sporting facilities with a hard play area with marked netball and basketball courts, and a large grass football pitch. The nursery and reception class entrances have external canopies, as does the main entrance to provide weather protection and covered outdoor play.

An offsite approach to construction was identified as the best way to achieve construction, even before the coronavirus pandemic began to unfold, because of the comparative speed and the removal of many of the variables, such as the weather, which can impact traditional construction.

This decision was further vindicated as coronavirus-mandated social distancing guidelines came into force.

Due to the fact that much of the work on the 45 modules was carried out offsite within a factory-controlled environment, it could be completed safely and efficiently, unaffected by the logistical challenges facing many construction sites around the country. The school’s external framework arrived with the windows and roof sections already in place, while M&E fittings were also completed within the factory, reducing subcontractor traffic to site. In total, the project saved 10,209 car miles under green travel plans.

Work which needed to be completed onsite was done in line with government guidelines and all members of the supply chain worked collaboratively to ensure each other’s safety and wellbeing. Excellent collaboration and regular, open communication with all stakeholders has been essential to completing the project ahead of schedule.