Northern Ireland off-site building specialist McAvoy Group has delivered over £5m of new schools in England providing additional places for 1020 pupils due to an increased demand for fast-track accommodation.
The Co Tyrone-based company, which specialises in modern methods of construction, can design and build the schools in a matter of months, providing a quick and efficient solution to the current lack of capacity in the education sector.
McAvoy supplied and installed its off-site buildings to schools under the frameworks thanks to a standardised package developed by the company. This allows McAvoy to manufacture and design for sale and hire the buildings which include ‘bulge’ classrooms used to accommodate growing numbers of pupils to over-subscribed schools.
Many schools in England are facing a classroom shortage crisis due to competition for places, but the move to accommodate growing numbers of pupils has not been without controversy, especially when it comes to ‘bulge’ classrooms – which involves the extending of school premises. However, local MPs have welcomed the development saying additional classrooms are better than bigger classes.
Schools in Hampshire included Twyford St Marys and Wellstead which both had a single classroom added with a double classroom extension to Great Binfield, and nursery units to both St John the Baptist and Parkview schools.
Four classroom blocks were created at Reading schools’ Alfred Sutton and Ridgeway, with Caversham Primary benefiting from a new double classroom, while The Hill School now has a permanent double classroom extension. Meanwhile in Suffolk, an extensive programme of works was required with seven schools getting the McAvoy treatment, which included double classrooms to The Glade Brandon, Houldsworth Valley and Norton, single classrooms to Haverhill and Wells Hall, Barnham.
Three schools in Portsmouth also had to grow in a bid to accommodate more pupils with single classrooms part of extension work at Moorings Way and Westover, with a double classroom to Stamshaw.
Finally, in Hillingdon, Chantry School had to be relocated due to the demand for places and suitable accommodation.
All buildings exceed current regulation standards and have sophisticated M&E systems ensuring low running costs throughout the life of the building.
Orla Corr OBE, Business Development and Marketing Director for McAvoy Group, said: “We have developed our own framework management and production processes which is why we can deliver and install classrooms on site in such a short time-frame. Our off-site building technology helps to deliver educational facilities within a reduced time-frame and with significantly less disruption on-site.”
