Hassenbrook Academy – Kitchen Refurbishment

On 28th February 2019   /   Case Studies  
Hassenbrook Academy – Kitchen Refurbishment

Hassenbrook Academy – Kitchen Refurbishment

Client Name: Hassenbrook Academy (Part of the Ortu Federation)
Location: Stanford-le-Hope, Essex
Type of client: Secondary Academy
Services provided by M+C: Building Surveying | Architectural Design | Planning Services | Procurement | Project Management | Funding Application
Value: £404,425
Contractor: KGB Managed Services

Hassenbrook Academy is an up-and-coming secondary academy located in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. The academy is now part of the Ortu Federation, comprising the nearby Gable Hall School and Corringham Primary School. Having historically suffered from falling pupil numbers, a detailed school improvement plan is in place to develop the school. Equally, the school has suffered under-investment in recent years, with the school kitchen’s standards suffering as a result.

A detailed condition survey and technical investigations were carried out to identify the level of need for the kitchen replacement. This evidence was collated to support an application for funding through the EFA’s Condition Improvement Fund. The surveys highlighted a range of deficiencies in the existing kitchen, including non-compliance to a number of regulations. Staff also suffered through inefficiencies resulting from the existing kitchen layout.

Working with a specialist kitchen designer, a detailed scheme and specification was generated. The design incorporated the needs outlined by the kitchen staff, to improve operations throughout the space and increase efficiency. The design incorporated walk-in fridges and freezers to make the best use of space, and create a ‘flow’ for the intake of raw materials, through storage to the preparation and serving of meals. The finished scheme was then tendered to a number of suitable contractors, to gain cost certainty for the CIF bid submission.

With tenders returned and analysed, a completed CIF submission was made to the EFA, and subsequently fully funded. With funding secure, KGB Managed Services started work in the May Half Term, with the school allowing preliminary works in order to maintain a fast-track programme. The works continued through the summer break with the school recommencing in September with a new, fully functional kitchen. The kitchen replacement now allows the catering staff to work far more effectively. As part of the school’s development a subsequent, separate phase provided a much-needed extension to the dining hall to further improve the facilities.

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Greensted Junior School – Estate Planning

On 27th February 2019   /   Case Studies  
Greensted Junior School – Estate Planning

Greensted Junior School – Estate Planning

  • Client Name: Greensted Junior School
  • Location: Basildon, Essex
  • Type of client: Primary Academy
  • Services provided by M+C: Asset Management | Estate Planning | School Development Planning | Building Surveying | Planning Services | Procurement | Project Management | CIF Funding Application

As part of Greensted Junior School’s conversion to Academy status during 2012; Munday + Cramer were appointed to provide strategic estate planning support to the Senior Management Team to raise the standards across the existing building portfolio. Whilst the school’s buildings were in reasonable condition, the new Academy suffered limitations in terms of building usage; in particular facing increased requirements for specialist support areas as well as additional space for PPA.

M+C started the process undertaking a detailed condition survey and developing a 5-year plan (for condition and maintenance related elements), along with carrying out a full curriculum study in terms of building usage. With input from the Senior Management Team, a detailed estate planning strategy could be established to prioritise works throughout the school against those two key criteria.

Over the ensuing years, a number of schemes have been developed against the overall estate plan, harnessing both school funds as well as external funding such as ACMF/CIF funding from the EFA. Some of these schemes have included:

Infill extension

To help meet the need for additional space for SEN/one-to-one/focus group work, a redundant area of the school site was identified as opportune for creating an infill extension. This solution made good use of an under-utilised area, which also provided enough space to create a learning resource centre. The scheme was chosen over the provision of a demountable classroom; reasoning it provided better integration with the school, and an ultimately more cost-effective solution. The scheme was delivered at a total cost of £206,000.

Reception area remodelling

To improve safeguarding and create a more welcoming experience for school visitors, a scheme was developed to remodel the existing reception area. The £36,000 scheme was delivered on a phased basis to minimise disruption to the school.

New paths/access and hard landscaping

Sharing the wider site with Greensted Infants & Nursery, the school site suffered with significant traffic and pedestrian management issues. In a number of places, pedestrians and vehicles would cross paths accessing the infant school (including emergency vehicle access), naturally an undesirable situation. A scheme was developed to provide a new pedestrian path set away from the vehicular access, along with provision of additional parking and extensive landscaping to enhance the site. The scheme was valued at £91,000 and successfully delivered across a number of phases.

Toilet Refurbishments (ACMF)

In 2013 ACMF funding was applied for and successfully achieved to undertake a range of WC refurbishments throughout the school. Updating the toilet facilities meant a move away from dated and unhygienic conditions. It also enabled the introduction of low-energy LED lighting throughout. The £75,000 scheme was fully funded by the EFA.

Water tower demolition (ACMF)

The second 2013 ACMF bid enabled the demolition of the school’s redundant water tower/tank, following rationalisation of the water storage/heating systems throughout the school. In addition to these works, a number of alterations to the gas supply were made, along with the provision of a new lightning conductor for the school.

Kitchen Extension (CIF)

The existing kitchen facility at Greensted Junior School provided all catering functions for both the Junior academy and the infant school (the latter on a contracted basis). As a result of the introduction of the Universal Free School Meals initiative, production through the kitchen was expected to rise by 54% on a day-to-day basis. As a result, the existing provision was not deemed suitable or able to cope with the increased workload. M+C successfully achieved CIF funding for the school to extend the kitchen to provide additional workspace to accommodate the increased staff required. £66,000 was raised from the EFA for the scheme which was completed during the summer recess.

Re-Roofing (CIF)

A bid was developed for the EFA to undertake a range of remedial roofing work to the school in line with the estate planning work that had been undertaken. This maintenance work, costing in the region of £186,000 was verified by the EFA and duly granted. Works to flat roofs across the school were undertaken over the summer recess period, offering the school a long lease of life to all roof coverings.

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Corringham Primary School – Structural Repairs

On 27th February 2019   /   Case Studies  
Corringham Primary School – Structural Repairs

Corringham Primary School – Structural Repairs (CIF)

  • Client Name: Corringham Primary School
  • Location: Corringham, Thurrock, Essex
  • Type of client: Primary Academy
  • Services provided by M+C: Building Surveying | Structural Engineering | Procurement | Project Management | CIF Funding Application
  • Value: £55,000
  • Contractor: Forum Contracts

Corringham is a historic village located in Thurrock, with links back to Saxon times. As a long-established town, Corringham Primary School has served the area since 1870. The school’s ‘France’ classroom, surrounding toilets and corridor; located within the original Victorian block has suffered increasing subsidence. The corridor was causing ‘seasickness’ when walking along it. Pencils were rolling off of tables within the classroom and architrave was being split. To remedy this, underpinning of the building was required.

Ongoing movement within the building has been observed and monitored for a number of years. A review of the underlying topography confirmed no significant concerns and that the issue was caused by the building. The foundations to the building were found to be failing; with the building therefore requiring underpinning by replacement foundations.

As a major structural fault, the scheme was suitable for funding under the Condition Improvement Fund. The scheme, organised by the EFA provides grant funding to improve the condition of school facilities in need. A comprehensive bid was compiled; including a range of evidence of the issues. Alongside this, a detailed programme of works and specification was developed and tendered. With a contractor selected, a firm bid submission was supplied to the EFA and duly accepted.

The scheme was successfully delivered over the summer break, with existing foundations underpinned. The external corridor walls were removed, with new footings for those areas. The walls were rebuilt, and the classroom was given a simple refurbishment to rectify the cracking and damage to the building fabric.

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Beaconsfield High School – Reception Remodelling

On 15th January 2019   /   Case Studies  
Beaconsfield High School – Reception Remodelling

Beaconsfield High School – Reception Remodelling (CIF)

  • Client Name: Beaconsfield High School
  • Location: Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
  • Type of client: Secondary Academy
  • Services provided by M+C: Building Surveying | Planning Services | Procurement | Project Management | CIF Funding Application
  • Value: £429,844
  • Contractor: Forum Contracts

Overview

Beaconsfield High School is an all girls grammar school based in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. Because the school achieves good academic results, it remains a popular choice for parents in the area. The school’s senior management team had identified that the school buildings’ safeguarding measures were insufficient, and asked M+C to work with them to address this. As is common within the education sector, the school’s budgets were insufficient to fund any improvements. With this in mind, M+C recommended that the school make an application to the ESFA for a grant under the CIF initiative.

Safeguarding Issues

M+C lead consultant, Barry Lawrence, initially conducted a non-intrusive visual survey of the site. He found that the school site was very open to both vehicles and foot traffic. The perimeter fencing was low-level, and there were no security controls to gates. Once onsite, the reception area offered very little access control, and visitors were able to move freely between buildings. Furthermore, there was no CCTV installation which seriously restricted reception staff’s ability to monitor visitor’s movements around the school buildings. In addition to these problems, the site was vulnerable to break-ins and vandalism outside of school hours.

Solutions

Barry and the M+C team designed a solution to address the issues that the school were facing. Their proposal included:

  • A new front reception lobby with controlled access to the main reception area
  • Toilet facilities and seating area for unauthorised personnel to use whilst waiting for an escort to accompany them into the main building
  • Electromagnetic door locks requiring either reception staff activation, or a a fob/card to open
  • A secure meeting room just off of the outer lobby providing an area to converse confidentially with a visitor, without allowing them further access to school buildings
  • CCTV installation, monitoring key points of the site including the car park entrance
  • New car park barriers, with access controlled by reception
  • New higher perimeter fencing

These measures enable school staff to control who gains access to the site, and more importantly, restrict movement to appropriate areas.

Funding

Barry completed a full tender process in order to provide cost certainty to the ESFA. Forum Contracts returned the most competitive price, and were provisionally appointed pending the CIF fund result. Although the school were facing budget constraints, they managed to commit 5% of the total cost of the works from their reserves. It is fair to say that many CIF approved schemes are those which will provide the school with ongoing maintenance cost savings. Whilst this project did not fit that criteria, M+C and the school made an excellent case, based on the need to improve safeguarding and the application was successful.

Project Delivery

The project was too large to take place solely within the school holidays. The school therefore made provision for some of the works to take place at the end of the summer term. The M+C project management team worked closely with the school to schedule tasks to minimise disruption to learning. In addition, the school made the site available during evenings and at weekends so that the contractor could complete the noisiest/most disruptive works outside of school hours. All works were complete by the beginning of the new school term in September and the school site is significantly more secure.

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