A Derbyshire construction company has won a contract to build a £24 million secondary school.
Bowmer + Kirkland (B+K) is constructing one of the country’s first schools to be built through the Department for Education’s Modern Methods of Construction Framework.
Thames Park School in Grays, Essex, will have 900 pupils aged 11-16, with future potential for a sixth form.
B+K, which is based in Heage, Derbyshire, said the school will be built using structural insulated panels, roof cassettes and pre-cast concrete floors.
It will work with contractor Innovare to put together things such as windows, roofing, and external cladding off-site – which cuts down on on-site construction time, is better for the environment and improves health and safety.
B+K’s own mechanical and electrical company, DBS, has helped set-up an off-site plant room.
B+K framework director Chris Arno said: “I am extremely proud that our first school to be delivered though the DfE’s Offsite (MMC) Framework is now about to hit site.
“Whilst as a company we have been delivering schools for the DfE using off-site technology since 2014, Thames Park embraces the considerable research and development we have made over that time, to refine our product and increase its pre-manufactured value.
“This is culminating in the delivery of our very mature ‘Configure Offsite 3.0’ standardised, yet flexible, school solution, which will exceed the very stringent performance requirements of the DfE’s Output Specification whilst reducing the construction duration by 30 per cent.
“I look forward to watching the building take shape.”
Thames Park will have two buildings – a three-storey teaching block and a separate sports block, complemented by two multi-use games areas, an all-weather pitch, turfed sports pitches and a running track.
B+K started off-site manufacturing this week and earthworks will start at the end of June.
The school will be ready for students to start in September, 2022, and will be managed by Osborne Co-Operative Academy Trust.
B+K dates back to 1923 and has grown to become one of the UK’s most successful privately-owned construction and development groups.
It has been a major contractor for the Department for Education since the launch of the contractor framework in 2013.
There are 27 companies within the group specialising in construction and construction-related activities, which last year achieved a combined turnover of £1.11 billion.
