Tony Woodstechnical manager at LHC, discusses how local authorities and education providers

can engage with the supply chain to maximise Government funding opportunities.

 

 

 

Back in February 2017, the National Audit Office estimated it would cost £6.7 billion to return all school buildings to satisfactory or better condition, and a further £7.1 billion to bring parts of school buildings from satisfactory to good condition.
Its Capital Funding for Schools report also predicted that the cost of dealing with major defects in the estate would double between 2015-16 and 2020-21 as many buildings were near the end of their useful lives, with 60% of school buildings in England built before 1976.
Four years on from this report, the Department for Education announced it was launching the first phase of its School Rebuilding Programme which aims to deliver 500 projects over the next decade as it looks to ‘build back better’ after the pandemic.
Projects range from replacing or refurbishing individual buildings through to whole school rebuilds and will provide improved facilities while also being more energy efficient, helping to meet the Government’s net zero targets.

 

The first phase will receive over £1 billion to fund the first 50 projects, more than 70% of which are based in the North and Midlands, and 21 new free schools. A further 50 schools were added to the list in the second phase of the programme last summer.
This £1 billion investment is on top of the Government’s £1.8 billion annual allocation provided to maintain school buildings, and the £560 million one-off funding injection announced last year.
However, securing funding for these types of projects is just the first step of the journey for local authorities and education providers. Once budgets are agreed, what is the best way for providers to engage with the supply chain to carry out the work?
By using trusted local frameworks. More and more education providers and councils are using procurement frameworks for these sorts of construction and refurbishment projects, tapping into the expertise of local teams who have pre-vetted and approved local suppliers.
Since launching our Schools and Community Buildings framework nine years ago, we’ve helped to procure works on everything from the construction of a new £30 million secondary school, to the painting and decorating of classrooms.
Education and public sector projects that have been successfully delivered through our frameworks include a three-storey new build for the Degree Apprentice Centre at the University of Warwick in Coventry. Delivered by Kier, the project was completed on budget and on time within 18 months of inception, including 54 weeks of onsite construction.
The Highland Council used our framework to work with Morrison Construction for the refurbishment of the grade-B listed Inverness High School. Fourteen classrooms, offices and a brand-new state-of-the-art biomass energy centre were built during the first phase of the project, with works ongoing in a live school environment.
Subsequently, the Highland Council reused our framework to procure Kier to build the new £15 million Ness Castle Primary School in Inverness.
The latest iteration of this framework is the Public Buildings and Infrastructure (PB3) framework launched in October 2020.
The PB3 framework allows local authorities and other public sector bodies to source contractors for works relating to the construction and refurbishment of educational, healthcare, emergency service and community buildings. It can also be used for residential properties within mixed-use developments, student accommodation, conversion of commercial building for residential use, and can include associated infrastructure works.
Refurbishment has been separated from new build in the lower project value bands to help with ease of procurement.
Suppliers have been assessed on their capability for delivering low energy and zero carbon buildings, including any prior BREEAM credentials, and for delivering Special Educational Needs Schools has also been factored in to ensure we have the right skills within the framework for such projects.
Our regional approach means that local suppliers, where possible, are appointed to the framework. While national suppliers are also on the framework, the local expertise of companies is considered as part of their application to be on the framework because of the social value it brings to a project.

www.lhc.gov.uk

In a bid to tackle the skill shortage, the government have recently announced that there will be nine new Institutes of Technology, as well as a multi-million pound investment in skills and technical training, specifically targeted at upskilling Britain and creating opportunities for everyone. School Building Magazine editor Joe Bradbury investigates:

It’s no secret that the construction industry is suffering from a growing skills shortage. Due to the dwindling talent pool, the sector has long struggled with a shortage of experienced labour, making it more difficult than ever to meet deadlines.

This is a major issue for the government, whose goal of building 300,000 new homes per year by the mid-2020s is becoming increasingly improbable. Indeed, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reports that the shortage of skilled construction employees has reached an all-time high since 2007. In short, the industry will need to hire more people. But those people will require substantial training. This is where the new Institutes of Technology come in.

The hope is that more high-quality, flexible education and training will benefit adults and young people across the country, levelling the playing field and assisting more individuals into higher-skilled, higher-wage professions.

Starting in September of this year, anyone wishing to upskill or retrain will have access to more than 100 short courses ranging in length from six weeks to a year, allowing them to spread their studies out and learn at their own speed. More than 20 universities and colleges will offer the courses in areas where there are skill shortages, such as construction, education, and healthcare, as an alternative to a typical three-year degree.

Nine more Institutes of Technology were announced just before Christmas in locations such as Blackpool, Derby, Salford, and Essex, increasing the total number of institutes to 21 throughout the UK and fulfilling the government’s campaign goal. Institutes of Technology are one-of-a-kind partnerships between employers, colleges, and universities that focus on providing high-quality Higher Technical Education and training in areas such as advanced manufacturing, digital and cyber security, aerospace, education, construction and healthcare in order to provide the skilled workforce that businesses require today.

A total of £150 million has been awarded to 100 colleges and universities to improve their facilities and equipment in order to increase access to higher technical training and flexible courses in key subjects like engineering, healthcare, and science, which will help to close regional skills gaps and boost local economies.

Speaking on the subject, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said “Ensuring everyone is given the opportunity to reach their full potential, no matter their age or life stage, is a vital part of our mission to level up this country.

“These measures, including our new short courses and nine new Institutes of Technology, will boost access to more high-quality and flexible education and training – giving people the chance to learn at a pace that is right for them, while ensuring we have the skilled workforce needed to boost our economy.”

Why is the construction industry experiencing a skills shortage?

One in five construction employees are aged over 55. This means that now in the early 2020s, when the industry should be hitting its homebuilding targets, most have reached or are close to retirement age. An ageing workforce and an uphill recruitment battle are a combination that could have a detrimental effect on the industry.

Another key issue that is contributing to the skills shortage is that the construction industry as a whole is still battling with an image problem.

To keep up with demand, the construction sector has to recruit new workers, yet to many outsiders, the image of wolf-whistling workers on cold and muddy construction sites still persists. To attract new workers, the industry must shed its unfavourable image and demonstrate how far it has progressed.

What can we do as an industry to address it?

There are a number of ways that construction companies can reach out to the right candidates and ensure them that a career in construction is exactly what they’re looking for.

Young people need to be re-educated about what construction is truly like in order to ensure that the future workforce in construction is dynamic and engaged.

Only one in ten children between the ages of 16 and 18 would choose a career in construction, according to a survey conducted by L&Q Group. Their chief concern seemed to be that the job might be “difficult and unexciting.”

Therefore, working collaboratively with schools and colleges to promote the industry is an excellent approach to teach young people that construction offers a variety of employment options. Construction companies have the chance to assist in overcoming the skills gap with fresh talent by providing appropriate training programmes. The skills deficit affects more than just labour-intensive jobs; there is also an increased demand for tech and digital skills.

While it is critical to ensure that next-generation workers are aware about the sector, there are other talented groups that are waiting to be hired.

Every year, over 14,000 people leave the military, which means the construction industry has access to a pool of highly trained workers with transferrable abilities. A number of businesses have already reaped the benefits of military leavers, and some even offer specialised training and learning credits to help them get completely trained as quickly as feasible.

Addressing imbalance

Construction has always been a male-dominated business, which contributes to the problem. According to statistics, the number of women working in construction increased by only 0.7% between 2007 and 2016, ending in an exceedingly low 12.8% total.  Nearly half of all construction workers say they’ve never had a female manager.

Women in construction, regardless of their role, are undervalued. Given that women account for half of the population, it seems absurd that the sector is overlooking so much potential talent that could help close the skills gap.

In summary

Only a devoted and capable workforce can help the building sector deliver three million new social homes over the next 20 years to address the housing crisis and address the 11,000+ homes throughout the UK that have been vacant for 10 years or more. To do so, we must confront the skills shortage head on and fill the anticipated 224,000 positions that must be filled in order to meet some incredibly ambitious goals set by the government. We cannot do it alone. We need people we can trust. Therefore, e mployer within the construction industry should look for new and different ways to deal with the skills shortages. It is everyone’s obligation to show that construction isn’t only “hard hats and hi-vis” and that there are plenty of offsite opportunities to entice, intrigue and thrive in.

There were approximately 1.42 million unemployed people in the United Kingdom in the three months to October 2021, with the figure in December 2020 being the highest number since September 2015, when there were just over 1.76 million unemployed. It’s a simple fact that more people will be able to find work if their skills are improved.

Hopefully, along with assistance from the Institutes of Technology, as well as a multi-million pound investment in skills and technical training, we can raise everyone’s chances of making a living and deliver a built environment fit for the future.

 

 

For a while now, the government have been making their intentions known, encouraging offsite over onsite where possible when it comes to public sector projects. Why is offsite so crucial for the educational building sector? School Building Magazine Editor Joe Bradbury discusses:

 

The current state of affairs

There are 32,113 schools and 142 universities throughout Britain today. Whilst this might sound like a lot, consider the fact that overall pupil numbers are also expected to increase by 654,000 to around 8.1m by 2026. In secondary schools alone, the overall population is projected to reach around 3.3m in 2026, a 19.1% increase of around 534,000 more pupils.

Parents are already battling for placements in schools for their kids, with many having to compromise on where they ultimately send their child for education simply because there isn’t space in their local school.

 

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What’s more, alarming studies indicate that over 65% of these buildings are considered “not fit for purpose” by their head teachers and deans, who cite leaks, asbestos, faulty heating and damp as common problems.

Experts suggest that in order to keep up with this rapidly increasing demand for school placements, we needed to have been building 2,000 new schools each year between 2016 and 2020. This hasn’t been happening and with time pressing on, it’s clear to see we need a solution fast.

Speed of delivery

Fully kitted out and ultra-efficient offsite buildings can be completed in a matter of weeks, with minimal onsite disturbance. This is perfect in the school environment, due to the fact that work can be undertaken between term time, minimising disruption for pupils and teachers alike.

Traditionally, when the time comes to replace a school building, we have transformed the learning environment into a building site for months (sometimes even years) at a time, forcing teachers to educate from temporary, leaky and cold structures. This is unfair on the pupils attending the school during this period, it isn’t conducive to learning and is shown to adversely affect their attainment levels come exam time. Put simply, it creates a disadvantage for them.

Offsite construction, however, is far less energy intensive than traditional building methods, meaning it is better for the environment; surely a lesson worth teaching to the next generation!

The carbon footprint left by the many construction vehicles and machinery on the site of a traditional construction project alone is considerably larger than that of modular construction. The fewer vehicles involved coupled with the reduced time that they spend on site results in less greenhouse gases being released into our environment… as well as less disruption.

Arguably one of the greatest benefits of modular construction is the ability to design diverse buildings in a more efficient manner, allowing them to be used as multi-functional spaces. For example, it is perfectly possible to combine a new school with a community centre, library or any other public building for that matter. This means that offsite construction can actually help public sector organisations and local authorities enrich the lives of the people that make up their communities.

In summary

Modular construction can help us breathe new life into our country’s educational buildings throughout the country and create enthusing learning spaces for the influx of new students predicted to enter into education over the coming years. 

The success stories are prolific; the healthcare, policing, defence, housing and education sectors are all benefitting greatly from embracing offsite. 

Offsite construction ticks a multitude of boxes, offering a quick and cost-effective way to deliver the fit-for-purpose schools sorely needed throughout the UK. It isn’t just an option to be considered from a financial front, it must play a crucial role in tackling the school places challenge if we are to make any meaningful improvements in our society. It’s vitally important that the benefits of offsite are acknowledged and embraced by government and industry. It’s about more than money. Let’s do the right thing for our young people.

 

We live and work in buildings; structures comprised of four walls, a roof and a floor. However, it is the technologies and products obscured within these walls that dictate whether a building is comfortable or not to be in for long periods of time. 

 

Given the fact that pupils spend 190 days per year at school, good acoustic performance in educational buildings is crucial for effective learning. The schools, colleges and universities throughout the UK are responsible for the creation and nurturing of future medical professionals, entrepreneurs, teachers and artists – it is vital that pupils are able to listen clearly to their teacher’s communications in order to foster the learning process.

It has been proven by many studies that poor acoustic performance within a classroom severely hinders learning and teaching. Let’s take a closer look at the subject of sound:

What is sound?

Okay, we all know what a sound is… but it is important that we understand how it works when discussing acoustic insulation. Sound is a form of energy created when air is disturbed in some way causing changes in air pressure that radiate from the source of the sound in waves. Sound can be airborne; typically that of a human voice.

Sound waves vibrate at different rates or frequencies as they move through the air and are measured in cycles per second or Hertz; the faster a sound wave passes a given point, the shorter the wavelength and in turn the higher the frequency. Vibrations in the air caused by the sound determine how loud it is; the stronger the vibrations the greater the ‘amplitude’. The length or duration of a sound i.e. it’s reverberation time or echo, is determined by the extent to which the energy is expended on contact with surfaces within a room.

How is sound measured?

Sound is measured in decibels using logarithmic scales; the human ear is incredibly sensitive and the scale needs to reflect this. The table below shows the increase in sound intensity in relation to decibel levels.

How are we affected by sound and levels of noise?

The human ear can hear sounds across the frequency range 20 to 20,000Hz; however it is most sensitive in the range 100 to 5000 Hz. There is a great deal of variation in the hearing abilities of individuals and the awareness of sounds can depend not only on physical but also psychological factors. Noise can be described as unwanted sound; however the level at which noise is tolerable is subjective – a specific noise that one person finds upsetting may go unnoticed by another.

Background noise

Background noise in buildings normally arises from sources like external traffic or equipment within the building. Machines like air conditioning units or fans can operate at moderate levels that make noise that is unobtrusive and is only noticed when turned off. This sort of noise is often unnoticed as it is steady and conveys little information about events around it. As an unintended consequence of normal activities, background noise can be beneficial in masking more sounds from an adjacent room without being loud enough to be noticed in their own right.

How does noise affect educational environments?

The three main sources of noise which affect classrooms are airborne sound sources, implact sound sources and general reverberation noise. Reverberation is a common problem and has a potentially significant impact on the classroom environment. Challenges such as background noise and group work where discussions and debates are encouraged mean that if a classroom isn’t properly soundproofed, noise levels will crescendo to uncomfortable levels and as a result will hinder any learning ability.

It is important to realise that there are a variety of educational methods and styles presented in the modern day classroom, each with their own noise issues. The more traditional teacher/lecture based classroom is where a teacher is located at the front of a classroom and leads any communication or discussion. This teaching function potentially suffers greatly from reverberation noise levels as pupils who sit toward the back of the classroom will suffer from reflected noise levels, where the teacher’s voice is at the weakest point due to reflected sound waves.

 

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A more modern approach to teaching focuses on a more interactive based learning where students are encouraged to work in pairs or groups to facilitate learning processes. This means within a classroom, reverberation and ambient noise levels will increase dramatically, and if a room is untreated the noise levels will hamper concentration levels and learning ability.

Airborne sound sources affect educational environments where sound travels from different rooms within a building, particularly through separating walls or floors. This is particularly relevant where a classroom is situated next to a music room or a library, which is next to a busy corridor. Airborne noise levels are determined by the use of the area, as some areas will generate more noise than others meaning these will need to be looked at in more detail.

Impact sound sources are sudden noises that come through a floor construction like footsteps. It is imperative that impact noise is taken into account to ensure pupils movements in the classroom above are not heard below.

UK Building Regulations and the guidance in Building Bulletin 93, stipulate that these noises are controlled and that every room or space within an education building is designed in such a way as to achieve a certain level of acoustic performance.

Sound insulation in buildings

The movement of sound around a building is a complex process that can be affected by a whole host of factors both within and around a site. There are also various ways of measuring and expressing levels and performance.

Problems can occur with the level of acoustic control in a building and this may be because:

• The building design does not lend itself to acoustic control
• The specification of individual components is incorrect
• The interaction between individual elements is not given full consideration
• One of the parties or suppliers involved has used inappropriate information to gain a commercial advantage

In summary

The classrooms in which children are taught have more demands upon them than ever before. They are places to learn, to play and to be inspired. But if the students cannot hear their teacher, or are distracted and stressed by unwanted noise, then their learning experience will suffer. It doesn’t need to be that way.

A number of regulations and guidance apply to acoustic standards, and projects to refurbish classrooms and teaching spaces that provide for children with special educational needs should take these into account. Within the UK the acoustic standards are set by Building Bulletin 93 (BB93) and similar standards are in development in the Republic of Ireland.

Improving classroom acoustics need not be challenging or expensive. If you are currently working on an educational project, place yourself in the position of a pupil sitting within the classroom you are building for a moment in your mind… can you concentrate?

 

While the number of school fires has decreased over recent years, they remain a major risk for schools. Joe Bradbury of School Building Magazine and industry experts Fire Safety Services take a look at what school building operators can do to minimise risk.

 

A large school fire devastates; its aftermath lingers for years. There are about 700 school fires a year in England. Approximately 90,000 pupils a year have their learning disrupted due to fire damage to classrooms and school property. The long term disruption that follows puts staff and pupils under stress and imposes large financial, educational and administrative costs. It is a price that no school can afford to pay. However, while no school is immune from the risk of fire, the chances of it happening can be reduced or, if the worst does occur, losses to be kept to a minimum.

Fit sprinklers

School fires in London alone have increased by 34% in just one year, new London Fire Brigade figures show. The Brigade has been campaigning for a number of years to make sprinklers mandatory in new schools and during major refurbishments. Sprinklers are especially important during the summer holidays when buildings are empty and fires can smoulder undetected, causing extensive and expensive damage.

There were a total of 90 fires in preschools, nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools in 2017, up from 67 in 2016. The Brigade’s Fire Facts report, also released this week, shows that fires at educational buildings, including colleges and universities, have also increased from 20 to 28 in the same period.

Moreover, last year 184 London schools ignored the Brigade’s advice to have sprinklers fitted as part of their refurbishment or building plans, despite that being the most cost effective time to fit water suppression systems…

This is happening up and down the country.  Less than a third of the 260 schools built since 2014 under the Schools Building Programme have sprinklers.

Sprinklers are mandatory in new school buildings in Scotland and Wales, but not in England. Government guidance on safe school design says all new premises should be fitted with sprinklers “except in a few low-risk schools”.

There were no fatalities from school fires in the eight years up to 2017/18, but there were 244 casualties, according to official figures.

The National Fire Chiefs Council said the proportion of new schools built with sprinklers had dropped from about 70% a decade ago to a third last year – and overall, in England and Wales, just 5% of schools have sprinklers.

Watch out for arson

Each year around 1 in 20 schools experiences a fire and nearly 60% of school fires are started deliberately. The short-term effects of loss of facilities and equipment can be calculated, but the longer-term effects of loss of coursework, disruption of classes and lowering of morale are much harder to quantify. However, it is clear that a major fire is likely to disrupt a child’s education for many months and could mean postponing tests and exams.

Most are probably not meant to get out of control and started as a dare or just a laugh. Some however are malicious and planned.

Nationally one in eight schools suffered an arson attack last year – costing about £65m a third of these were in London.

So how can we stop it happening? In reality – you can’t. But you can lower the risk of it happening by following simple rules.

• deter unauthorised entry onto the site
• prevent unauthorised entry into the buildings
• reduce the opportunity for an offender to start a fire
• reduce the scope for potential fire damage
• reduce subsequent losses and disruption resulting from a fire

By being vigilant and aware of what a potential arsonist could burn and how accessible it is could greatly reduce the risk.

Store combustible items safely

A common non-compliance found is that of storage of combustible items. The very nature of schools attracts large amounts of paper, cardboard etc with limited storage. It is sometimes the case that cupboards housing electrical equipment (fuseboards, servers) are requisitioned for storage which is a potentially dangerous mix of fuel and ignition in an enclosed area. The simple fire safety advice is to keep fuel sources and ignition/heat sources apart.

Another area that gets overlooked is the storage of gym mats. Again space is a premium and it is common to find mats stored vertically as opposed to horizontally. Also many areas are not suitable as gym mat stores.

Gymnastic mats should be stored in a purpose-built store having a fire resistance of 60 minutes to British Standard 476: Parts 21 to 22, and where possible be ventilated to open air.

The reason for the stringent fire protection measures is that the mats produce toxic dense smoke when ignited. This will spread to other mats quickly if stored vertically. If the smoke breaches the enclosure there is a high risk of the escape routes becoming unusable due to lack of vision along with the dense black smoke which is a danger to life.

In summary

These are just a few examples of everyday issues found on Fire Safety Inspections in schools; however, many more factors need to be considered. For example a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) evacuation plans – can individuals with special needs, be accommodated within the general evacuation procedure?

For answers to this question and many more you need to speak to a quality third party accredited fire protection company (such as Fire Safety Services) to take care of your fire risk assessment along with any other fire safety & equipment requirements. It could save lives.