Interest growing in Willmott Dixon’s off-the-shelf school
MIDLANDS contractor Willmott Dixon has reported a surge of interest in Britain’s first standardised school, currently under construction in Rugby.
The firm – which has a Birmingham office – says 13 local authorities have paid a visit to Oakfield Primary School, including five from the West Midlands. Parliamentary under secretary of state for schools, Lord Hill of Oareford CBE, also visited the site in July.
Interest has been prompted by the acute shortage of primary school places across the region.
Across the region, an additional 36,578 desks will be needed for the academic year 2014/15. Almost 11,000 of these will be required in Birmingham alone.
Coventry is looking at a deficit of around 5,000 places, whilst some 4,000 additional pupils will be added to Staffordshire’s school register.
Peter Owen, managing director of the Midlands’ office of Willmott Dixon, suggests cash-strapped local authorities are drawing up emergency plans to cope with the unprecedented increase in numbers.
He said: “In the south the position is so dire local authorities are talking about ‘split shifts’ in existing schools, and requisitioning disused shops, warehouses and office blocks for use as school rooms.
“We are already looking at converting office and retail space for some of our free schools in the Midlands.”
The firm is currently building Britain’s first standardised school in Rugby. The contractor, alongside Scape, a local authority owned procurement company, launched its ‘Sunesis’ product – a series of off-the-shelf designs designed to reduce the cost and construction lead and delivery times – earlier this year.
The £2.2m Oakfield Primary, commissioned by Warwickshire County Council, will help to address the 3,552 shortfall in primary places anticipated across the county and will replace the school’s existing 1950s building.
Willmott Dixon is currently on target to start 30 new primary schools by the end of 2012. The contractor will also deliver eight free schools by September this year.
