Rosecliffe Spencer Academy

The project faced two major challenges. Initially there were difficulties with the acquisition of the site, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

In order to deliver facilities for pupils by September 2020, and negate the need for the children to attend nearby schools, the project was delivered in phases.

As progress was made on the building, a temporary modular learning village was installed alongside the main school allowing pupils to continue their learning onsite. This included nursery and junior teaching facilities as well as admin offices and a kitchen and cafeteria area, all in time for the new term.

To minimise the cost of the temporary learning facility, the team accelerated the works to the kitchen and main hall building to make access available at the point of occupation.

COVID-19

By taking a strategic, collaborative approach, work was able to continue when the pandemic hit and the country entered lockdown.

The team quickly implemented the Construction Leadership Council’s SOPS to ensure work was able to continue safely and, through digital collaboration with the supply chain and designers, they were able to stay on track. This included reorganising the programme to allow (in as many circumstances as possible) one sub-contractor to be allocated to one area of the building.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the site team managed to handover the project seven weeks early. They also commissioned drone flights to provide updates for the stakeholders when they couldn’t visit the site, plus, when rules were relaxed, full site tours were delivered in line with Government guidelines.

Procured through SCAPE Construction and designed and project managed by Arc Partnership on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, the 55-week project was delivered seven weeks early - despite the logistical challenges of COVID-19.

Scoring 10/10 for customer satisfaction and generating over £3.1 million in social value, the building has exceeded expectations. The new state-of-the-art school is now an inspirational learning environment and a central hub for a growing new community.

Inside the school there are nine general-purpose classrooms, offices, a hall and a kitchen. There is also a library and a nurture room which provide alternative learning spaces for children with specific needs. Four outdoor sports pitches feature alongside a soft play area, tarmac playground, and a garden for nursery pupils. Parents and staff also benefit from the new car park with 35 spaces, including two for disabled usage and two for electric vehicle charging. The new school also allows for future expansion to accommodate up to 420 pupils.

To help ensure a lasting legacy for the scheme and surrounding community, Morgan Sindall created a social value plan with activities and engagements that helped generate over £3.1 million in social value. This included remote STEM engagement for local students, volunteer community projects and partnering with the local jobcentre to provide opportunities for locally unemployed people.

Keeping the children of Rosecliffe involved and engaged in the build of their new school during the pandemic was key. The team interacted with the children regularly by sending activity cards and allowing them the opportunity to create COVID-19 posters for the site. In memory of this eventful year, the floor of one classroom has been decorated prior to carpeting. This artwork will be there for the lifetime of the school, serving as a reminder of the events of 2020.

At the handover of the project, the Morgan Sindall site team provided the school with a new book vending machine which will be used as a reward for good behaviour. Students will receive a token where they will be able to vend a book of their choice. 100 new books were provided by the team for this machine.