The Brief

Sewell Construction had worked with Robertson Facilities Management on several educational projects over the years, namely as part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
The ambitious programme provided a city-wide approach to renewing the whole of the secondary education and special needs school estate, transforming learning across the city whilst embracing and enhancing the needs of individual learners, local communities, and the city’s social and economic infrastructure.

At the time, Robertson and Sewell Construction worked together on Winifred Holtby Academy, Kingswood Academy, Oakfield Special School, Tweendykes Special School, Archbishop Sentamu Academy and of course, Andrew Marvell College.

So, when the further need to create larger, more efficient spaces for staff and students at Andrew Marvell arose once again, Sewell Construction was first on the list.

Due to the increase in pupil demand, and a greater need for space utilisation and usability, Robertson FM approached us to carry out a tight programme of redecoration and refurbishment works.

The Solution

With the six-week school holidays fast approaching, it was decided that the majority of works would happen within this tight timeframe, so the classrooms were ready for when the students came back in September.

Works included:

• Internal remodelling of various classrooms on the ground, first and second floors,
• Removal of wall partitions between two smaller spaces to provide larger, more practical and usable space for both staff and students,
• Delivering works to align with the school’s existing fire strategy and design, including fire doors and fire compartmentations,
• Full redecoration and refurbishment of the spaces.

The Challenges

• Large portion of the works having to be fire-rated with compartmentations 6/7metres high posing challenging access issues,
• Working within an existing building and having to form scissor lifts and transferring PLANT materials through tight corridors and doorways,
• Challenges on resource and managing works in a tight timescale post-covid,
• Challenging logistics and access / egress,
• Providing design advice regarding fire strategy to ensure all high standards were aligned for all parties involved,
• Tight programme.

The Results

The quality systems and processes in place throughout the project meant we were able to achieve high quality results regardless of the tight timescales to which we were working to.
We were fortunate to be able to work closely with all our preferred supply chain and together, have achieved excellence for the school. This is also demonstrated through no snags upon completion and most importantly, a very happy client!

Post-covid, the demand for larger, more practical spaces has never been higher, and to be able to react quickly to Robertson FMs needs means we have been able to provide a brand new, more usable space in which to teach, and learn.