The Castle School

The Castle school in Thornbury has welcomed a new three storey extension block to their secondary school, in readiness for the September school year. This new facility will accommodate Sixth Form students, teaching both Maths and Science on the one site. The extension block connects to the existing secondary school via a link bridge which was also part of the overall scope of works.

Key Stats

Three-storey extension block to provide teaching space for STEM subjects - (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
43T of carbon saved
Project handed over 1 week early and on budget
Over 15 jobs created
9/10 customer satisfaction

At a Glance

Client

South Gloucestershire Council

Budget

£11m

Completion

59 Weeks

Location

Thornbury, Bristol

Framework

Southern Construction Framework (SCF)

Sector

Education, Academy

Social value

£6.5m

Welcoming a new modernised facility to Thornbury

The Castle School project forms part of a wider initiative for South Gloucestershire Council and The Castle School Education Trust to modernise their STEM teaching facilities for Sixth Form students.

Originally, the sixth form for students at both The Castle School in Thornbury and Marlwood Secondary School in Alveston, was located on Gloucester Road. However, over time, this facility needed to be updated to provide a more cohesive and attractive learning environment for students. Following a cabinet meeting in 2020, it was decided that the Maths and Science teaching accommodation would be relocated onto the site of The Castle School, which, would help tackle two key objectives: modernising their teaching facility and streamlining the journey for students. Both secondary schools will now be able to make use of this new extension block at The Castle School.

Our Approach

Procured through the Southern Construction framework (SCF), the framework allows for early engagement and collaborative working relationships, to understand the customers objectives and how we can meet them. One of the key objectives/priorities for this project was to minimise disruption to students and staff, particularly during sensitive periods throughout the 59-week programme. This was all amongst the backdrop of preserving the safety of both students and staff, as the school would remain operational during construction. By forming a one team approach from the outset and creating a close relationship, our team communicated effectively to ensure any challenges faced, were resolved together as one team.

An example of this included the early identification of shallow rock within the ground. The difficult ground conditions had all the hallmarks to complicate the project, as it would require extra drilling in the ground, which would be noisier and more disruptive than anticipated. To mitigate against the disruption, the team sequenced these works during the school summer holidays.

With the project completing one week early, safely, to budget this culminated in the team achieving a customer recommended 9/10 and achieving Perfect Delivery.

Saving 43T of carbon throughout the project

Through a collaborative exercise which included support from supply chain partners and consultants, the project team were able to innovatively reduce the carbon impact of this project.

By opting for Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) as an alternative to concrete, the team were able to save 12T of carbon. As the team used the existing infrastructure of the site, rather than opting for 5 weeks of power generated from a diesel generator for temporary electrics, the team saved another 31T of carbon.

In total, the team saved 43T of carbon which was all submitted as part of our site teams 10T carbon challenge; this is an initiative we encourage at MS to decarbonise our sites and their operations.

Social Value Impact

Work Experience opportunities for 11 pupils

The project team hosted a series of site visits for Year 10 Design and Technology pupils. The first two visits took place, where staff and pupils attended site for a tour of what will be their new STEM block. They then headed back to the site offices for a Q&A session with the Project Manager, Will Corry and Site Manager, Mike Anstey who provided them with a project overview, discussed the wide range of careers available within the construction industry and showed the pupils a 3D model of the new building.

Tree Planting Event

Our site team recently supported our recruitment providers, Sphere Solutions Ltd, with their Annual Tree Planting Event in Almondsbury.

Sphere Solutions have adopted a small section of land in collaboration with Co-Forest where a woodland is being created to preserve land and create habitats. In time, it is hoped that the woodland will also provide a space to be used for Eco-focused engagement activities and environmental education. Tasks for the day included checking and maintaining trees which were planted last year and planting new trees where there were gaps to fill.

The thought of a huge construction project was daunting, I've never had any experience in that area - It could have been really chaotic! But to be honest, most of the time I wouldn’t have even known that the work was going on. I got regular updates; I was allowed on site to see progress and all of that reassured me. It never felt like we were unsafe, because of the relationship between Morgan Sindall and the school. Every time we visited, they gave us cake which was a highlight! But the nicest thing is they asked me to bring students along to show them the building and that was really lovely. They were always kept informed of what was going on, as well as our leadership team, so we’ll never forget that. Everything is centred around relationships, so it’s been really positive here. The team were really calm, organised, open, always responsive and they genuinely cared about the children. At handover, it felt like we really got to know each other, and it was a really warm feeling. They delivered something amazing!

Jessica Lobbett, Headteacher, The Castle School, Thornbury

Customer experience is basically everything. I can honestly say that from the word go Morgan Sindall have been brilliant. They’ve been incredibly engaging, and certainly know how to treat the customer. They’ve made the process a smooth one and an experience an enjoyable one and their proactive approach is something that struck me right away. The engagement, the willingness to be proactive came to the fore and id we ever had a problem, it was sorted immediately. In fact, it surpasses anything I’ve ever experienced before with other construction companies. The people, the characters on this job have been so friendly – their approach is about getting this job done, but to everyone’s satisfaction – it’s been a case of them going the extra mile to make sure we have been satisfied.

Allan Twine, Programme Manager, South Gloucestershire Council