The new build £7.1m two-storey steel-framed Rocester Primary School is one of a number of schools being delivered under the Staffordshire County Council construction projects framework, and will also include various external sporting areas including a sports pitch and MUGA.
Located in the village of Rocester near Uttoxeter, it has replaced two former schools, Dove First School and Ryecroft Middle School, which have been brought together under one roof, although they will still operate as two separate schools.
The chosen site of the new school on Ashbourne Road was a greenfield piece of land owned by JCB, whose headquarters are also situated in the village. In return, JCB had taken the site previously occupied by Ryecroft Middle School in order to convert it into a training centre. This introduced some time restraints on the construction programme as JCB had specific timescales for converting the school into their training facility, and this was a key consideration for the success of the project.
The delivery team commenced the main construction activities on 17th August 2015 despite planning delays and the requirement for a considerable amount of enabling works, including the removal of a Foot and Mouth burial ground which was carried out under strict licence conditions. The cut and fill exercise then commenced, giving the team a balance with no material removed from site.
Innovation
The site was on a major hillside which meant a large cut and fill operation but it created a problem of overland drainage. This created a vast amount of water run off onto our site which we controlled with attenuation tanks during the construction phase.
We looked at innovation as an opportunity to complete on time. We installed our attenuation tanks early which allowed overland water and drainage. Installation of SFS systems saved the prolonged use of handrails to the perimeter’s of the building. Early completion of the weather tight dates ensured the internal works could be completed successfully on time. LED temporary lighting was installed to save energy and resource.
Sustainability
89% waste diverted from landfill
Sustainability was a key factor when looking to prevent waste fill and top soil being removed from site. We proposed to the client we contoured the existing landscape to create areas for wildlife and outdoor pursuit areas for the children. By being creative we managed to retain all top soil and surplus subsoil on site thus diverting hundreds of vehicle movements from site.
Social Value
The site team embraced the involvement of the two schools, the team arranged several activities including accompanied site visits, health and safety presentations carried out on a class by class basis followed by a poster competition and ‘sign a brick’ with the signed bricks going into the fabric of the building. This has inspired involvement and provided a sense of ownership throughout the project for the children.
