Offsite specialists partner of choice for £1.5m expansion

One of Sheffield’s handful of rural schools has turned to offsite construction specialists – Roan Building Solutions - to deliver a £1.5m project for September 2015 as ultimately Oughtibridge Primary School will increase its intake by 25 per cent.

Working in partnership with the school and Sheffield City Council, Roan will create a two-storey, 222m² building on the existing car park. It will comprise two new classrooms on the ground floor with adjoining toilets and cloak rooms whilst the upper floor will contain the head teacher’s office, staff room and intervention room.

Roan will also install a new steel-framed polycarbonate canopy covering the ground floor classroom entrance which will lead to a 440m² enclosed play area.

This is the second time in two years that the school has needed to expand due to a surge in pupil numbers with the new building enabling the school to complete the transition from a 1.5 form entry to a 2 form entry primary school.

Pat Munt, head teacher at Oughtibridge Primary School, says: “Competition for school places is high and we have the space to accommodate more children without compromising the high quality of education.

“However, time is of the essence and a modular build was the perfect solution due to its low cost and fast installation. We needed a design and build partner who understood the logistical challenges of being in a rural area as well as the need to keep disruption to a minimum and have tight control of the budget.

“Roan is based just 10 minutes away and knowing that some of the build team live locally to the school is a huge benefit as they personally understand the challenges. Come September we will have a complete new facility which will ensure families in the catchment area will have access to a local school.”

On site piling started in April 2015 with the final handover due in July 2015, meaning initial design to completion will take just 13 weeks. The majority of work will take place out of school time to minimise disruption to teachers, pupils as well as the local community.
Offsite construction is becoming a popular choice amongst schools as Matt Goff, sales director at Roan Building Solutions, explains: “880,000 extra school places are going to be needed by 2023 at a cost of around £12billion which is going to take schools to near breaking point as they are already working to reduced budgets.

“Forward-thinking schools such as Oughtibridge Primary know that they need to create places quickly and at the right price which is why offsite buildings are fast-becoming the build method of choice.

“With on site build times from just eight weeks, schools need to look to new construction methods to get the desired result with minimal disruption. This contract has particular significance as both the site manager and I live close to Oughtibridge and we want to be proud of what has been achieved.”

Roan’s appointment follows a fully comprehensive, competitive tender. Its knowledge of the local area, ability to map the impact on the surrounding community and reduce carbon emissions all became deciding factors in the contract award.

Original link - PSBJ