Bedford MK42 9TR
Bedford Academy Upgrade their Facilities to Support Increasing Roll Call
New Laboratory, F&N, Staff Room & Dining Spaces for Bedford Academy
Bedford Academy is part of HEART Academies Trust – a group of academies at the heart of their community delivering great education and improving life chances for all.
The school provides consistent support, guidance and challenges for students, helping them to become well-rounded, thoughtful and responsible members of the local and wider community.
Over the past four years, the school has grown in size by 250+ students and over 200 in the Sixth form. This brings their total number of students to upwards of 1350 in September 2022. However by 2026, the school will be home to 1600 students, if their current growth rate continues.
CONTACT & MORE
With an increasing student roll call, during summer 2022, Bedford Academy planned an upgrade their building and facilities, with several ongoing projects scheduled for later that year too
Bedford’s £1millon refurbishment included: –
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Five new classrooms, a second food tech room and science laboratory
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A new staff room
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Two new sixth form study areas
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Atrium, restaurant and café bar refurbishment
The brief
In Jan /Feb 2022, Innova was approached by the school to refurbish their food and prep room, staff room, dining facility, and laboratory. After conducting a site visit, surveying the spaces, and gathering a detailed brief from the client, Innova’s designers began developing the interiors for the multi-room refurbishment project.
Staffroom
The existing art room will be converted into a staff room, creating a comfortable space for relaxation and interaction. This includes a complete renovation, removing flooring and a wall to create an open kitchen area, accommodating 60 pigeonhole units. The design will feature soft seating, TV screens, a coffee machine, 60 lockers, and essential kitchen amenities. New services will be installed, along with full wall decoration, a white rock splashback, and updated ceilings and lighting in the kitchen area.
Dining room
Complete refurbishment of the dining room to accommodate 400 students. Curved walls will create bar-style seating, and the serving area will include four till areas, ensuring a one-way flow for efficient movement during the 35-minute break. A dedicated coffee shop will offer hot drinks, cold cans, and snacks. The flooring will be updated to create distinct zones, with services installed for water, power, and drainage, along with full decoration throughout the space.
Food & prep room
The existing DT room will be converted into a Food & Nutrition room for 28–30 students, featuring a fixed teacher demo area with a peninsula design. All cooking appliances will be electric, with a demo setup including an electric oven and gas hob. The room will also have a large freezer, fridge, blast chiller, and a DDA-compliant rise-and-fall area. A new door will connect to a spacious prep room, which will include three workstations and essential appliances.
With an increasing student enrollment, Bedford Academy planned a £1 million upgrade to their building and facilities to accommodate 1,600 students by 2026. This investment aims to enhance the school's infrastructure and support a growing educational community.
The solution
Working in partnership with the school, the 21st century user-centric designs were developed to create a ‘wow’ factor as well as meet all the practical requirements of each interior space.
The staffroom was designed with a blue relaxing colour theme and incorporated a detailed specification of all modular furniture to deliver an amazing inviting space for the teaching staff to re-energise and socialise with their colleagues in between lessons.
The Food & Nutrition room’s bay layout design with a DDA rise and fall area and a central teacher demo on a raised dias, at the front of the classroom, provides a flexible space for students to conduct both practical and theory work efficiently.
Whilst the dining room design helps to manage footfall and flow of traffic in and out of the space, reducing bottle necks as well as deliver a comfortable space that is inviting and relaxing. Furniture options included check-out counters, bespoke benching, a range of tables and seating plus bins, trolleys, barriers, zoned flooring and much more…
Turnkey services
- Demolition & Strip Out
- Minor Building Works
- New Ceiling or Repairs
- New Flooring Installation
- Electrical Works
- Plumbing Services
- Decoration
With the renovation complete, Bedford Academy’s 21st-century facilities are attracting more students and enhancing their educational experience. The upgrades are motivating both staff and students while fostering a supportive community within the school.
Spotlight on interiors
Education
Laboratory & Prep Rooms State-of-the-art, flexible laboratories to engage students and accommodate different teaching styles
Multi-sector
Breakout Spaces Flexible, multi-functional work or social spaces which can be reconfigured quickly and easily
Education
ICT Suites Accessible, ergonomic, low-maintenance ICT suites to keep pace with learning technologies
Do you have a project in mind?
We would love to hear from you. Give us a call, email or make an enquiry. We are here to share our expertise and answer your questions.
0161 4775300
hello@innovadesigngroup.co.uk