Wellington school pupils to benefit from £175,000 facility

A new teaching space – called The Lodge– has been created at Short Wood Primary School after work was carried out by building contractor SJ Roberts Construction.

Headteacher, Gail Butele, said: “We were clear on the need for extra space, but as a school with Green Flag Eco status, needed to ensure that any additional building not only complimented the landscape, but was also energy efficient and provided value for money.

“We’d considered a variety of extension and modular options before being introduced to the team at SJ Roberts which proved a real turning point.

"They listened to our needs, adapted some of the designs we’d already been working on and provided a solution that ticked all the boxes.”

Constructed with a traditional timber frame open panel system clad in timber with a flat roof, the build fell under Permitted Development Rights, meaning no planning permission was required.

Mike Sambrook, MD at SJ Roberts, said: “Working within a school environment requires an appreciation of minimising on-site disruption, as well as ensuring the utmost in safety.

"Constructing under Permitted Development Rights positively impacted on the overall build time with all work, from site preparation to completion, finalised within just eight weeks.

“The use of the timber frame panel system, meanwhile, worked well given the limited on-site access and need for the school to remain operational throughout. The unavoidable use of some heavy machinery was limited to school holidays.”

As well as its speed of construction, the new school building boasts a “B” energy efficiency rating and is heated by a modern Air Source Heat Pump. The entire build cost under £175,000.

Gail added: “The Lodge has been the perfect solution to our capacity needs and already feels like a familiar aspect of the school environment, like it has always been there. To have a library space again is a joy and we’ve got the potential to develop the outdoor area into a reading garden.

“It has been a pleasure working with the team at SJ Roberts. From the start, they shared clear plans and schedules; worked seamlessly with our site manager to ensure all school considerations were met safely; and they took the time to engage with pupils as their imaginations were sparked by the work being carried out.”