The Requirements
As part of the Government’s £4.4 billion Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), which rebuilds or refurbishes school buildings in the worst condition across the country, Portakabin was awarded a contract to deliver six schools in the Surrey and Kent batch. All six schools would be produced off site and would replace the current facilities, which would then be demolished and removed. Wanting to create outstanding environments for teaching and learning, the offsite approach to the scheme would reduce the build programme, much to the benefit of the children’s education by reducing disruption during construction.
Designed by specialist architects, each school would have state-of-the-art education facilities to replace sub-standard accommodation in poor condition. The designs, which have been developed in close collaboration with teaching staff, will maximise natural light and ventilation, and feature two two-storey classroom wings. These are separated by a central ‘street’ which runs the full length of the building and provides good passive supervision and zones for informal learning. The buildings will also have high levels of natural light to improve concentration levels, and increased access and space for outdoor play and learning.
Throughout the scheme, Portakabin was able to develop a modular multi-purpose hall for two of the schools following learnings made on site while the programme progressed.