Lindum has carried out a raft of improvements at schools across Nottingham as part of the city council’s Education Improvement Programme.
Work has been completed at four schools and included the upgrade of old roofs, installation of new windows and the reconfiguration of existing buildings.
All of the work was delivered via the Scape Regional Construction framework and was on time and on budget.
It also generated more than £167,200 of additional “˜social value’ for the schools and their local communities (calculated using a standardised method, developed in association with Social Value Portal and endorsed by the Local Government Association).
This includes the positive financial impact of using local subcontractors, social enterprises and apprentices on projects as well as the value of added extras, such as the donation of timber play equipment to the schools.
Nottingham City Council is investing heavily in its local schools; its facilities review programme has identified where amenities need to be brought up-to-date, providing pupils with the best school experience possible whilst improving the energy efficiency of school buildings.
In total, the work completed by Lindum included:
- Reconfiguration of Rufford Primary School to better adapt the building to support pupils with complex needs. The school also needed to maximise the functionality of its classrooms: a new PPA room was required, a new SENCO room and two deputy head rooms, which double up as meeting rooms, and a hygiene room.
- Re-roofing of existing 60-year-old slate pitch roof at Dunkirk Primary School which had reached the end of its serviceable life, and new UPVC window installation.
- Re-roofing of Welbeck Primary School, and new UPVC window installation.
- Replacement and installation of two high efficiency boilers at Crabtree Farm Primary School, including boiler room refurbishment to improve energy efficiency.
Rufford Primary School had reached its capacity and it needed to find a better way of adapting the existing school building to support children with special educational needs whilst minimising disruption, by creating new learning spaces.
Headteacher Alison Tones said: “Communication was really good throughout the project and I knew exactly what was expected of me. The team worked well in making sure the works at the school did not affect the children – they were always available to provide information and responded accordingly to any requests.”
During the work, Lindum employees delivered assemblies to school children and gave them opportunities to discover more about their projects and the wider construction industry. At the end of the project, Lindum donated a selection of wooden play equipment to the schools.
The equipment included “˜mud kitchens’ and picnic benches and was purchased from East Midlands Wood Recycling, a local social enterprise.
Kevin Ellis, EMWR Managing Director, said: “Our reclaimed items are made by local volunteers who come from various backgrounds; this work provides experience in a work setting for those who would find it difficult to find work.
“We have enjoyed making the items with the knowledge that they will be put to good use in an educational setting.”
Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive commented: “There is an urgent need to upgrade our schools to ensure high-quality teaching and learning environments. I am proud to see that through our Regional Construction framework, Lindum have efficiently delivered an array of upgrades that mean space in the existing buildings has been fully optimised to create these much needed additional school places.”
A spokesperson for Nottingham City Council’s Major Projects team said: “Major Projects are specialists in managing school projects and can support with projects large and small.
“We worked collaboratively with Lindum, acting as the representative for the school throughout, and ensured that the works were delivered on time, on budget and met the needs of the school.”
