The Brief:

Kingswood is a continually-developing residential area in Hull and needed an additional primary school following growth in the local population.

Hull City Council, through Esteem, wanted to build the new £6 million school next to the health centre for more than 350 pupils aged three to 11, as well as a 20-place nursery and 25-place pre-school, due to a new housing development of approximately 3,000 homes.

Sewell Construction was appointed to complete the project in 2013, which was delivered as part of the later stages of the £400 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
Due to the increase in housing, there was a need to expand capacity to 630 pupils in 2017, as the number of pupils on site had grown to more than 500.

Again, Sewell worked with Esteem and Hull City Council to develop the design and construction programme for a £5.8 million two-storey extension, which needed to include 14 teaching areas, toilets, staff rooms and group rooms.

Modular classrooms needed to be installed within the existing school before the main extension work and an extension to the school’s multi-purpose hall could begin.

The extension was built as part of £6 million funding secured from the Department for Education Need Capital Grant to be delivered through the Schools Capital Programme 2017/18.

The Solution:

For the original build, the project team of design, commercial, construction and facilities management experts was established over a year before construction got underway.

As there wasn’t a Headteacher or sponsor for the Academy appointed at the project development phase, Esteem utilised past experience from previous primary school construction projects, along with tried and tested products and processes, to develop a functional, best value design.

The extension work had to be completed within a live environment and pupils and staff remained on site while work was complete, so hoardings, segregation and health and safety measures were taken before work began.

The team liaised with Kingswood Parks Development Company to keep them informed of the development, as well as putting plans in place to continue regular engagement with key stakeholders and issue regular newsletter updates throughout the scheme.

The Delivery:

During the original build, operating hours were in place, with restricted weekend work to ensure disruption was kept to a minimum.

With the extension in 2017/18, the team worked in a live environment and access and egress was more of a challenge, and phasing of the project as a whole was more complex. Students and staff needed to be moved around the building to ensure the next phase could begin once each section was completed accordingly.

Phasing was a challenge during the extension and communication was key to ensure strict deadlines were adhered to while students and staff were relocated around the school at strategically-planned intervals.

Close liaison with the area developer (KPDC) enabled Esteem and Sewell to tie the school into a wider site master plan, which ensured the programme wouldn’t impact on adjacent developments or new residents who would move onto the estate during the course of the programme.

The Results:

• Esteem and Sewell returned to Kingswood Parks Primary School in 2017 to complete an extension of the original building and carry out internal remodelling works following an increase in capacity and population growth in the area.

• The new build and extension schemes were both delivered on time and on budget, with 86% local labour and nine apprentices involved in the original build.