Nottingham School Benefits From Pioneering School Extension

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 7 December 2016

In response to the growing demand for pupil places, the outdoor spaces at a Nottingham primary school have being transformed into modern learning facilities - all in just 112 days.

A former pond and disused outdoor area has been revived at Whitegate Primary School in Clifton to become a modern and spacious extension with two new classrooms, thanks to a project delivered by G F Tomlinson. 

MP Lilian Greenwood visited the school last week (25 November) to see first-hand how the innovative building, procured through the East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) framework, would improve learning facilities for children. 

Lee Noble, head teacher for Whitegate School, said the new facilities would have a huge impact on the children.

“We have been making best use of all the rooms and corridor spaces that we already have, but as pupil intake numbers have risen year-on-year since I joined as head teacher four years ago, we needed a lasting solution,” explained Lee.

“I was thoroughly impressed with the speed at which the extension was built, with minimal disruption to the pupils and teachers. Now the outdoor space which wasn’t being used properly has become a real asset to the school.

“As well as two new classrooms we have more open-air space for our nursery and reception children – it’s a win-win situation, thank you to G F Tomlinson, the council and empa for their support. It’s been fantastic.”

Councillor Sam Webster, portfolio holder for education, employment and skills at Nottingham City Council, said:

“The expansion at Whitegate Primary forms part of our on-going work to ensure that we have enough school places across the city to meet rising demand.

“We are part-way through a £41.9million school investment programme which has created thousands of extra school places over the past seven years, and will deliver a further 1,600 by 2022. We know that parents and carers in Nottingham City expect their children to have access to a good or outstanding Ofsted-rated school close to home. This on-going investment will help us to achieve that goal.”

The innovative Connect by Lungfish classrooms have been designed by experts in public sector buildings and education specialists, Lungfish Architects, to provide extensions for primary schools.

Andy Sewards, managing director for G F Tomlinson said the Connect by Lungfish system was still a new concept to many schools.

“As specialists in the education sector, we regularly work with schools and help them to find ways to make best use of the space available to them and to create new spaces for growing schools,” said Andy.

“This is the third Connect by Lungfish building we have delivered in the region and the feedback has been excellent; the speed and minimal disruption of these buildings really appeals to councils. We are proud to be in a position to deliver the extensions on behalf of empa.”

The aim of empa, which was formed by local authorities in the East Midlands and is managed by Scape Group, is to improve the procurement and delivery of construction projects and property maintenance for public sector bodies - saving time and money for them and in turn for council taxpayers.

Ian Towlson, regional frameworks manager for empa said that thanks to the empa framework, Whitegate School has been one of the first in Nottingham to benefit from Connect by Lungfish classrooms.

“Whitegate School has additional classroom space which is vital for this growing school. More children will be able to attend school close to home and enjoy state-of-the-art learning facilities.

“At empa we are always looking for innovative ways to help our public sector clients manage the challenges they face. The education sector is under increasing demand to deliver education for more pupils, but our framework offers streamlined procurement and solutions, such as the Connect by Lungfish extensions, which offer councils excellent value for money too.”

Watch the school children from Whitegate School in Clifton celebrate the opening of their new sustainable classrooms last week here: https://youtu.be/CSUOkvCI9NE

For more information about G F Tomlinson visit www.gftomlinson.co.uk or join the conversation at @gftomlinson. For more information about empa visit www.em-pa.co.uk

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