Early Years teaching block at Ivy Lane Primary School

TG Escapes were selected by Pickwick Academy Trust following a tender process, to design and build a new multi-classroom building at Ivy Lane Primary School. The school needed to replace some ageing ‘Pratten’ classrooms and had applied unsuccessfully for CIF funding in the 2019/20 round.

Shawn Donneky from SDBF Building Consultancy Ltd managed the CIF bid on behalf of the school from start to finish. SDBF have a successful track record with CIF bids having raised over £10m for schools they represent. The initial bid failed by just a few points so the bid was strengthened for the 2019/20 round using additional structural engineers reports to make the case that the dilapidated buildings were no longer fit for purpose. In extreme weather conditions, the temporary buildings were not able to be used and pupils needed to learn in other areas of the school with incident reports kept on each occasion. Photography was provided to show that the buildings had to be strengthened with structural plywood sheets as a precaution.

The site was a challenging one being in the middle of the school which is bounded by a railway line and a field at the back with no access. With social distancing in place access was even more difficult so a SIPS sectional modular system was beneficial. Construction needed to take place in term time so the system offered by TG Escapes meant that deliveries to site could be managed with minimal disruption to the school.

The new building sits higher in the ground reducing groundworks and making the construction simpler and more cost-effective. It has 5 classroom spaces with washrooms, a moveable partition for flexible space, office and reception area. It also features a covered walkway for outdoor learning and multiple access points to the outdoors. SDBF Building Consultancy and the school particularly liked the natural look of the TG Escapes designs.