With a new framework provider required midway through New College Durham’s ambitious Institute of Technology (IoT) refurbishment and new build, Consortium Procurement Construction (CPC) – a regional business unit of public sector construction framework provider LHC – stepped in to provide an efficient, reliable service to ensure timely handover for teaching.

The project
New College Durham, as the lead educational partner for the North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT), was undergoing considerable expansion and redevelopment, incorporating a £5m IoT build and a £2.5m refurbishment of its current STEM facilities.

The project, targeted for early 2020 completion, required design and construction of classrooms, workshops, purpose built advanced manufacturing facilities, an electric and hybrid vehicle training area and a virtual reality design suite for construction and built environment provision. It included a retrofit of the two-storey existing building to redefine new industry-standard technology areas, and a new, 3,300 sqm three-storey extension.

Ryder Architecture was appointed to design the 5,000 sqm Centre, with construction contractor Kier selected to deliver the retrofit and new build.

The partnership
As the contracting authority, the College had worked with a different framework provider across the first Campus building and the start of works to the new IoT, with Kier as its supplier.
However, having reached the £4m cost boundary on the previous framework, it approached CPC to run a new framework to complete the build, selecting it based on regional focus, quality and rigour, and fast procurement capability.

CPC speedily assessed the project and used its standard processes and assurance through the Schools and Community Buildings 2 (SCB2) framework – now Public Buildings Construction and Infrastructure 3 (PB3). Working with the College, Kier was reappointed based on its knowledge of the project, alongside their sustainability and social value credentials.

Arriving at such a crucial point in the project, CPC brought its partnership approach to bear, hitting the ground running while acting as broker to iron out any existing issues.

Andrew Broadbent, New College Durham principal and chief executive, said: “CPC arrived part-way through the project and efficiently established and assessed the situation, offering quality of service and developing sharp, productive relationships. I consider their role a core part of the partnership which achieved a great result.”

For the College, sustainability and corporate social responsibility were also vital in the supplier selection – a factor central to CPC’s assessment process.

Andrew Broadbent added: “Selecting a contractor is no longer just a cost-chasing exercise. Anyone we work with has to align with our values in the methods and materials they use, through to the apprenticeships they offer and the payback for our community and across County Durham.”

Jack Brayford, Kier Business Development Manager – Northern, said: “We look at the whole solution for a project, linking sustainability, design and construction. This was just as important for the IoT, with our open market testing and use of our social value calculator in our programme design and delivery.”

The solution
Using extensive experience of procuring for school and college building programmes, CPC efficiently assessed and appointed the right supplier for the IoT with sustainability and energy efficiency a clear requirement.

Throughout the project, the College remained occupied and operational, with partners taking a joined-up approach to minimise impact upon staff and students. To achieve this, CPC swiftly procured and brokered relationships, while Kier implemented processes to limit on-site impact.

CPC regional director Ethan James said: “School and college refurbishments and extensions are typically scheduled to have the most disruptive works completed during the six-week summer break to minimise impact on education and examinations. And with much capital funding allocated on a short-term basis each financial year, we understand the need to move quickly on these projects for clients.

“Our PB3 – then SCB2 framework – brings fairness to the supplier appointment process and here, meant we acted as intermediary to smooth out change in procurement against tight timescales.”

The quality of school and college buildings has been found to have a positive impact on how students learn and the outcomes of their education, with good classroom design decreasing student stress levels and improving wellbeing and attendance, according to the recent RIBA Better Spaces for Learning report.

Andrew Broadbent added: “We were able to put our time and resource into where it was needed most – with our staff and students – leaving re-appointment and re-assessment to CPC at a crucial point in build. Working with Kier and CPC together, we got great value and better build costs – vital in a big capital build where time doesn’t just mean money, but efficiency benefits our learning community.”

CPC delivers free-to-use Public Contracts Regulations 2015 compliant frameworks for the public sector, including local authorities, housing associations, education establishments and other public bodies, meaning they can procure works, products and services for construction, refurbishment and maintenance of social housing and public buildings.
A guide is available for the PB3 framework, or alternatively, find out more about LHC’s frameworks at

www.lhc.gov.uk/frameworks

Hopes the school would open on Tuesday this week were dashed by an email sent to families on Monday evening saying that would not be the case. It was hoped that children would be back in the classroom on Thursday.

Bramhope Primary is part of the Collaborative Learning Trust network of schools and CEO Janet Sheriff said: “Staff, governors and trustees share the anger, disappointment and frustration expressed by parents and pupils – we agree that the disruption caused by the delayed opening is unacceptable.

“Although the Trust’s Estate Manager and leaders were aware that the expansion programme (project managed by Leeds Local Education Partnership) was behind schedule, they were assured that there would be access to the completed parts of the school to allow the return of all pupils on Friday as planned.

“School leaders and Trust staff were not made aware of the delayed safety checks, the health and safety concerns, or the serious risk of a delayed opening.

“Given the significant health and safety risks identified, I hope that parents and pupils will understand that Leeds LEP had no choice but to delay school opening – they could not ask parents to send their children into a building that was unsafe.

“I fully appreciate the significant disruption this has caused for pupils and parents, as well as the financial implication the delayed opening will have for many families. I can only apologise on behalf of all those involved in this project.”

Source: Telegraph & Argus

Returning this year to Manchester Central on 18-19 October for its 10th anniversary, Education Estates® is the annual gathering of the education community in partnership with the Department for Education.

Celebrating 10 Years of Education Estates®
The event will be celebrating 10 years of the show in style at the dazzling Central Hall at Manchester Central. All shows have taken place at Manchester Central, with the continued success of the event allowing it to grow into filling the Central Hall, where the show will be located for the fourth consecutive visit.
A truly unique event, Education Estates® showcases the best the sector has to offer by bringing together manufacturers, distributors, and service providers to engage with senior education professionals who are focused on planning, designing, funding, construction and managing the UK’s learning spaces.
By bringing together over 2,000 delegates under one roof, the Exhibition has created the perfect platform to enable meaningful networking opportunities for people within the education sector.
A key aspect of creating an environment that enables exhibitors to gain knowledge and improve their network, is providing an engaging and insightful conference programme that is relevant to the education estates sector throughout the event.

The Conference is showcased superbly over 5 different sponsored stages.
Main Stage
Construction & Delivery Stage
Design Stage
Estates & Facilities Management Stage
Sustainability Stage

These stages will host over 120 speakers and more than 60 presentations across 30 diverse sessions covering a range of themes that are relevant to the past, present, and future of Estates in the education sector. Encompassing areas of zero carbon and inclusive learning to international design and digital modelling, this year’s conference is informative, inspiring and a reflection of all that is going on in the sector.

Awards Dinner
The sold-out Awards Dinner is a prestigious night where the education sector gets together to celebrate excellence & achievement in the industry. Categories recognise consultants, contractors, architects, clients, projects as well as innovation and sustainability. It is an uplifting evening, with this year’s entertainment provided by comedian Ed Byrne!

Networking
EduFest: The hugely popular EduFest Drinks brings together all Delegates, Visitors, Exhibitors and Speakers in a social environment in the central catering area of Manchester Central.

Plus, new networking opportunities for 2022:
EduBreakfast
EduCafe
EduBar
EduLounge
EduHour
EduNetworker

The show is environmentally conscious and hopes to reflect the industry it represents by becoming a net zero event organiser. This year they have partnered with environmental organisation Ecologi and pledged to plant a tree for every attendee at this year’s event to help offset their carbon footprint.
The event is always a reflection of the individuals in attendance, so we spoke to a diverse set of delegates to gather their experiences of the show.
‘This is a unique opportunity to gain insight into what is happening across education.’ Ann Allen, Executive Director Campus Innovation and Development, University of Leeds
‘The Education Estates® conference is my favourite of all such events. I have attended year on year, and it just gets better. It acts as a lightning rod for what it is current and this what is likely to follow.’ Tim Warnerford, Academy funding consultant, Warneford Consulting
‘It is genuinely the leading event in the sector – always well attended and supported from both private and public sectors and a forum where ideas, innovation and insight can be shared in a supportive and friendly environment.’ Mark Dolling, Business Development Director (Local Government & Education), Mitie.

Education Estates® is free to register for all employees in the education sector. For more information visit:

www.educationestates.com

90% of teachers agree that poor air quality impacts lung and mental health – and over half said it affects grades and academic performance.

Almost three in four (72%) classrooms suffer from air quality that is ‘below standard’, according to a new survey asking teachers across the UK about their school’s working conditions. Nearly three in five teachers (59%) deemed a classroom with poor air quality to be ‘not fit for purpose’ – for either teachers or pupils.

Three-quarters (77%) of teachers noticed that substandard air quality caused concentration problems in students, while 53% said performance or grades suffered.

The Air Quality in UK Classrooms Report – conducted by experts in air movement and ventilation solutions Airflow – asked teachers at 133 schools across the UK for their insights into working and learning conditions at UK schools.

The report found that conditions impacted student health, with three in five (61%) teachers believing classroom air quality is aggravating asthma and other lung conditions in pupils. Ill-effects on health were 55% more likely in cities, where both industrial and road pollution are more prevalent.

This comes in a summer where the UK saw record high temperatures, exacerbating pollution and its effects. Reports from scientists at the EU Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service have warned of spikes in unhealthy levels of pollution around Europe*, which are likely to become more common each year. Increased pollution can irritate and inflame the lungs.

Read the full survey findings here: https://www.airflow.com/about-us/blog/article?article_id=32&article_desc=The-Air-Quality-in-UK-Classrooms-Report

How are teachers being affected?

Almost two-thirds (63%) of all teachers surveyed said poor air quality is affecting teachers’ physical and mental health. While 31% of those at schools with ‘below standard’ air quality reported that despite requesting improvements, no action has been taken.

However, more than a quarter (27%) said their school is trying to improve air quality, but cannot due to a lack of funding or government support.

What improvements do teachers want to see?

Faced with sub-standard air quality, teachers identified the changes they want schools to make:

• Replace old heating appliances (which can contribute to indoor air pollution) – 72%

• Install air filtration or purification systems – 71%

• Ban cars on streets with schools during school run times – 38%

• Relocate playgrounds and classroom windows away from roads – 32%

With pupils currently on their summer holidays, now is the time for schools to make changes such as these.

Alan Siggins Managing Director of Airflow Developments Ltd said:

“We commissioned this survey to raise awareness of the problems poor air quality creates and how it impacts the classroom.  Improving air quality is our area of expertise and we know the solutions available to overcome these problems.

“However, what we didn’t know and what this survey has highlighted is how bad the situation is and how it affects teachers and students. It’s clear that funding solutions need to be found quickly and there must be support from the upper reaches of government for that to happen. Investment in modern ventilation systems is a must for the health of the future generation: we’ve seen first-hand the stark difference good air quality can have.

“To gain this investment, grassroots pressure is required to focus the government and local councils on the issue. Schools, teachers and even parents can raise the issue at PTA meetings or with local councillors to start turning the screw.

“The recent resurgence in Covid cases makes action on air quality even more pressing. Nobody wants a situation where children and teachers are returning to classrooms that facilitates the transmission of the virus.  If measures are put into place, the health of both students and teachers can only benefit.”

Mrs. X, who works at a London primary school but did not want to be named for job security reasons, says:

“Returning to school after the pandemic, all schools were advised to keep windows open to improve air quality. However, in winter, the classrooms would obviously get very cold. Children would be distracted and this impacted learning.

“Even with windows open, pollution around the school area means that air quality is not drastically improved. We know that poor air quality and ventilation lead to higher levels of CO2 in the classroom, which affects cognitive performance (reduces memory, impairs concentration, lowers decision-making abilities) and inhibits learning.

“In addition, children who struggle with self-regulation find it particularly hard to be in poorly-ventilated environments and may demonstrate disruptive behaviour, leading to them being sent out of the classroom, meaning they are not learning from their teacher.

Nicola D’Urso, School Speech and Language Therapist, says:

“Some schools I work in have indoor areas which are poorly ventilated without any windows. I’ve seen examples of children fainting and disengaging due to dehydration in excessively hot and stuffy classrooms. It’s not uncommon for children to become drowsy and even the brightest students can stop interacting in lessons. I notice caring and responsible teachers often having to prioritise children’s health and wellbeing during lessons instead of teaching them the educational content.

“The main obstacle is that senior leadership teams in schools are at the mercy of their local council’s policy on clean air and limiting air pollution. The roadblock for schools is that it’s a bit out of their hands given that it’s up to the council and the government to get a grasp of air pollution and put adequate policies in place.”

A brand new all-through school in the parish of Wavendon in the south east of Milton Keynes welcomed its first pupils today (Tuesday 6^th September).

Glebe Farm School, part of the Inspiring Futures through Learning (IFtL) multi-academy trust, has opened its doors to 250 children and this will eventually rise to over 1,530 pupils. As an all-through school, children can enter at reception and stay all the way through to Year 11. There is also a 39-place full-time equivalent nursery.

“Our inclusive, all-through school will provide exceptional education for children from three years old to 16 years – what a privilege it is for us to be able to engage, inspire, shape and grow with our young people for such an impactful period of their lives,” explained Headteacher Matthew Shotton. “Underpinned by our strong Glebe Farm School values of Integrity, Responsibility, Endeavour, Bravery and Empathy, our school will be the ‘beating heart’ of its new and developing community. Serving children and young people from the immediate residential area and nearby towns and villages, we will offer unrivalled curriculum and enhancement opportunities, enabling pupils and students from all backgrounds to pursue their interests and fulfil their potential. As a centre of innovation, equipped with the latest education technology, and a commitment to outstanding pastoral support, we will give every learner the tools to be successful in the ever-evolving and challenging modern world. It is truly wonderful to welcome our first cohort of early years, reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 7 children.”

Sarah Bennett, Chief Executive of IFtL, said: “Glebe Farm School has already started on its journey shaping the future through its innovative and sustainable design and build. We are delighted that our doors are now open and we are excited and privileged to build the futures of all our young people, families, community and colleagues together. This is a school for everyone, and the local community will be able to enjoy its sports facilities, including indoor courts and outdoor pitches which can be accessed via a separate community entrance. We fully expect that Glebe Farm School will become a valuable space for community events. I would like to thank everyone who has made our vision of this school a reality and the inspirational school team that will continue its journey.”

Since 2015, Milton Keynes City Council has opened six new schools and expanded 22 others, creating thousands of new local school places. The council is well on track to be carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon negative by 2025, and in each case planners, architects and builders have aimed to have a positive impact on the environment by using clever designs and new, greener technologies. The school was funded and developed by Milton Keynes City Council with building works carried out by Morgan Sindall Construction.

Billed as Milton Keynes’ first fossil-free new build school, Glebe Farm School is ‘gas free’. Instead, air source heat pumps which absorb heat from the outside air provide all the energy needed for air and hot water. All lighting comes from ultra-efficient LEDs whilst hundreds of solar panels generate power for the building. Energy-saving technology such as zero carbon site hoarding and an onsite solar powered generator were employed during the construction, minimising any impacts on the local environment. 840 trees, donated by the Woodland Trust, have been planted on the grounds.

Cllr Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “This major new school is essential for the future of this fast growing area of the city. The whole site has been designed to have a minimal impact on the environment and will provide access to high-quality facilities for the local community. I am excited that this is an all-through school. Glebe Farm offers continuous support for pupils as they progress through full-time education. This creates unique opportunities for pupil-led mentoring, removes any anxiety associated with moving between schools, and provides stability and certainty for families. As Milton Keynes continues to expand, we will continue to invest in and prioritise our network of high-quality, local schools.”

“It is a great feeling to know that families and children are walking through the doors of Glebe Farm School,” added David Rowsell, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Northern Home Counties. “This project is a great showcase for how to rapidly create a high-end educational environment that is not just at the cutting edge of sustainable design but which has been delivering tangible social benefits to the local community at every stage of its development. Thanks to this combination of factors, the local area has a significantly increased student capacity and the school’s pupils will go through their educational journey in Milton Keynes’ first fossil-free school. The close and collaborative working relationship we have enjoyed with the project’s stakeholders, including Milton Keynes City Council, Inspiring Futures through Learning and the Pagabo national framework for major construction works, has been key to creating such a transformational facility.”