Midlands manufacturer wins £3.8m school fit-out contract

Mansfield-based manufacturer Deanestor has secured its 13th school fit-out project with a £3.8m contract from Robertson Construction.

This project involves outfitting the new East End Community Campus in Dundee, a £100m initiative by Dundee City Council set to accommodate 1,900 students, replacing two existing high schools.

The campus, designed by Holmes Miller to meet Passivhouse standards, is scheduled to open in August 2025.

Deanestor will be responsible for furnishing over 300 rooms spread across the three-storey campus, supplying more than 4,000 loose and fitted furniture items.

The design, with a focus on Passivhouse standards, aims to establish an environmentally sustainable and inspiring atmosphere for learning while also paying homage to the history and accomplishments of the individual schools being replaced.

Deanestor’s scope for the East End Community Campus includes supplying a range of furniture and specialised school equipment, such as dining tables and chairs, storage cabinets, teaching walls, booth seating, mobile tray units, changing benches, lockers, classroom and meeting tables, bookcases, shelving units, craft and science tables, sports equipment, solid-grade worktops for laboratories, and industrial shelving for metalwork and woodwork.

Councillor Stewart Hunter, convenor for children, families and communities at Dundee City Council, said: “This is the single most important investment in our city’s future and delivery of the campus will allow us to improve educational and community facilities and tackle significant challenges of poverty. It will be a focus for the whole community and will help the future prospects of young people and the community to thrive.”

Steven Coulson, associate at architects Holmes Miller, said: “The design of the East End community campus is set to deliver on three fronts – to bring two schools together and conduct effective teaching; to provide a building aligned with long-term sustainability commitments, and to offer valuable space for local community benefit.”