Burgess Hill RH15 9EA & Saint Leonards-On-Sea TN38 8HH
The Burgess Hill & St Leonards Academies
New Facilities to Enhance 21st Century Learning
The University of Brighton Academies Trust is a network of 15 academies in Sussex, spread between Hastings, St Leonards, Shoreham, Burgess Hill, Lindfield and Crawley working in partnership.
The Academy trust believes education transforms lives which is why each academy has a rich curriculum to ensure that students meet their potential and are inspired to continue learning.
The Trust’s central operational services, allows the network of academies to work collaboratively in areas such as Finance, HR, Estates and ICT to benefit from improved contracts and rates as well as insights and efficiencies, empowering educators to concentrate on their core activities of teaching and learning.
CONTACT & MORE
Each Academy manages their own budgets and has the freedom to raise additional funds to support their pupils and the wider community.
The brief
The University of Brighton Academies Trust, as part of their on-going development of facilities, secured government funding; school condition allocation (SCA), to upgrade their science labs and classrooms, enhancing students’ learning capabilities and improving teaching environment for staff, aligning with their core values, mission and vision.
In Feb 2020 Innova Design Group was approached to tender for the Full Turnkey refurbishment works, at both The Burgess Hill Academy and The St Leonards Academy, which included 7 laboratories, 17 classrooms, Washrooms and Welfare areas and more…..
The turnkey project scope included the installation of new fire doors, suspended ceilings, LED lighting, flooring, mechanical and electrical (M&E) works, and decoration. The refurbishment was scheduled to begin shortly after the winning tender was selected, with a target start date of April 1, 2020.
From site survey to design, quote and preparation of the final tender documents, within 4 weeks Innova was appointed to carry out the complete refurbishment works just as national COVID 19 lockdown hit the UK. The project was subsequently put on hold for three months.
The University of Brighton Academies Trust is impressed with Innova’s capability of delivering a large-scale project in a short time scale and to budget during national lockdown. We have been invited back to carry out further work in 2021.
The solution
In June 2020 Innova’s team started on site. Working closely with Burgess Hill Academy to an agreed phased schedule, Innova designed, manufactured and installed the complete renovation in 11 weeks including the additional challenges of working during lockdown.
The successful delivery of the project was attributed to a number of key factors including working in partnership:
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Communicating effectively, providing the flexibility to adapt to changes and managing any risks.
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Bi-weekly meetings to monitor the progress of the project to plan and budget.
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The additional lockdown challenges meant Innova’s key processes had to be modified to facilitate video conferencing, social distancing, additional risk assessments, plenty of notices and arrangement of sanitising facilities to ensure we followed the latest government guidelines to keep the project team safe and well.
Peninsular laboratory design
Each laboratory at The Burgess Hill Academy has been installed with a peninsular layout, providing optimum workspaces and ample scope to maximise storage. This type of lab design promotes collaboration and makes it easier to switch teaching between practical and theory work.
Turnkey services
- Demolition & Strip Out
- Minor Building Works
- New Ceiling or Repairs
- New Flooring Installation
- Electrical Works
- Plumbing Services
- Gas installations
- Decoration
Service pedestal lab layout
In contrast The St Leonards Academy preferred the service pedestal lab layout because it offers much more flexibility than a fixed-bench setup. As it is only the pedestal, housing the services that is in a fixed position with a loose tables arrangement. The tables can easily be re-configured to cater for specific, day-to-day requirements. This not only improves access for both pupils and teachers, it promotes collaboration by making it easier to cluster benches together to accommodate practical group work.
The teacher demo area in all the laboratories provides a focal point for educators to demonstrate experiments and with plenty of drawer, cupboard and Gratnell tray storage means the classrooms can be kept clutter free.
School classrooms
General classrooms at The Burgess Hill Academy, were equipped with classroom tables, bespoke teacher desks with bookcases, and storage units as required.
By adapting to change during national lockdown, with the ability to plan effectively and deliver the project with an experienced In-house design and manufacturing team, means we can provide genuine value for money.
The new facilities at both academies will ensure the quality of teaching is enhanced and that students are equipped with the necessary 21st century skills to progress to college education and beyond. The staff and students are delighted with the results.
No matter what the challenges we face, Innova has the power to deliver large scale projects to budget and on time!
Spotlight on interiors
Education
ICT Suites Accessible, ergonomic, low-maintenance ICT suites to keep pace with learning technologies
Multi-sector
Breakout Spaces Flexible, multi-functional work or social spaces which can be reconfigured quickly and easily
Education
General Classrooms Classroom furniture solutions to accommodate a wide range of teaching and learning styles
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