Arundel Court Primary Academy
The Challenge
‘Make a difference. Be outstanding’. That is the vision at the heart of Arundel Court Primary Academy in Portsmouth.
This inner-city primary school has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Teaching standards have improved at all levels, recognised by OFSTED as being good and outstanding in areas such as leadership & management, behaviour, curriculum, care, guidance and more.
After receiving funding from the ESFA to replace their ageing buildings, the next stage of their growth was to be their most ambitious yet - replacing the whole school with a single new building on its existing site, large enough to accommodate 630 pupils.
The proposal of a new three-storey modular building designed, manufactured and fully installed by Algeco was not all plain sailing. The Academy is nestled in the heart of a residential area, surrounded by roads. Plans were subject to some local objection with concerns over proximity and overlooking of the new structure.
Our Solution
To alleviate concerns, Algeco took up the offer of attending the Design Review Panel to present sunlight path diagrams that had been incorporated into the proposed building’s design. With final approval granted, the project was split into two key phases.
Phase one involved the complete site set up and strip, decanting pupils into temporary accommodation. Hoarding was placed across the site, with temporary access off Holbrook Road, and a full-time gateman to secure the area.
Construction of the new three-story 3059 square metre building began in January 2019. The state-of-the-art modular/hybrid units includes 23 teaching spaces, main hall, studio space, learning resource spaces and administration rooms.
Phase two saw the safe demolition of the existing building segregated from the live operational environment. Along with all external works and final landscaping touches.
Algeco’s phased off-site construction process ensured that disruption was kept to a minimum while the existing school facility remained in operation.
Flexible maintenance and aftercare packages ensured that the smooth-running of the project would continue long after construction was complete. The permanent off-site solution includes 60 years of design life, 25 years structural warranty, 5 years product warranty and 12 months warranty on all other parts.
