TG Escapes appointed to Ivy Lane project following successful CIF bid

TG Escapes have been 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 needs to replace some aging '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 is 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 would be even more difficult so a SIPS sectional modular system was beneficial. It became clear that construction would need 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 will sit higher in the ground reducing groundworks and making the construction simpler and more cost-effective. It will have 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.

A successful application was made in the 2020/21 CIF round and work is now underway with TG Escapes providing a fully inclusive service from groundworks to handover. The speedy modular construction process means that the £1million, 465m² bespoke building will be ready to use within 20 weeks once works have commenced.