SEN school building success for Streif in Surrey

SEN school building project client

Collaborating with main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction and Bond Bryan Architects Limited, Streif UK worked on a SEN school building project for Surrey County Council. The new two-storey facility means the school now has a separate secondary and further education building that is fit for purpose.

SEN school building project brief

Demand for SEN places increased by almost 50% over four years in Surrey, with 10,941 children having an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) at the end of 2020.

To allow for Freemantles’ expansion to 270 places for students aged 4-19 years old, the school needed a new build linking up to the existing building.

They also wanted to replace three temporary classroom blocks used by older students with new purpose-built teaching and learning environments.

Their new build needed to incorporate specialist classrooms including a creative arts room, food technology kitchens and a sports hall.

Requirements for this SEN building project centred on sustainability — from the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to installation of a carpark with EV charging points. The original budget was £10 million.

SEN school building project solution and process

Surrey County Council (SCC) awarded Morgan Sindall Construction a contract through the Southern Construction Framework (SCF).

Morgan Sindall Construction paired with Streif UK to make use of our advanced closed panel timber frame system, which was perfect for this project.

We started installing our wall panels and timber floor/roof cassettes on site at the end of November 2022 and handed over in May 2023. See the progression of the build in the timelapse video.

Our offsite manufactured solutions allowed for a faster and more efficient completion of this SEN school building project. Offsite construction also brought the benefits of less construction waste and a safer working environment.

What is more, our sustainable construction systems have reduced the building’s carbon footprint and helped secure a more sustainable future for the school.

SEN school building project key challenges

Streif UK Project Manager Tom Weller said the following on this complex SEN school building project:

“Freemantles School was successfully delivered amid a period of high-cost uncertainty due to inflation and other factors. This necessitated value engineering exercises across all packages to ensure the project could be delivered within budget.

“Despite a slight delay in the commencement of works on site, the project was delivered over winter. And, thanks to a collaborative approach from all contractors, the project was completed on time. The main contractor, Morgan Sindall, handed over the project to the end user ready for the September 2023 intake.

“One of the key advantages of the Streif system is its integrated offsite solution. We offer fixed price quotations, providing both the main contractor and client with cost certainty for their projects. This is a significant benefit in these fluctuating economic conditions”.

SEN school building project results

A Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) visit to the building site resulted in a 45/45 score for the main contractor and subcontractors. The site scored top marks in every section, including:

Respect the Community = 15/15
Care for the Environment = 15/15
Value the Workforce = 15/15

This SEN school building project continued to bolster our relationship with Morgan Sindall Construction, who we also worked with on Oakwood School’s expansion and the Hailsham Community College Academy Trust project.

The success of the HCCAT educational building project even led to the Streif UK team winning Closed/Advanced Panel Technology of the Year at the Structural Timber Awards 2023!

We are pleased our team’s hard work and dedication has paid off to provide another sustainable learning environment for an expanding Surrey School and deliver another much-needed education facility for our client, Surrey County Council.