At a time of stretched budgets and a growing secondary school population, creative and cost-effective solutions need to be found to improve and enhance our school buildings and grounds.
Fordingbridge has emerged as the national leader in innovative, sustainable design and installation of school structures, ranging from walkways and canopies to outdoor classrooms, atriums, cycle and locker shelters, and sports roofs.
The company has been improving the sites of businesses such as those in the retail sector and garden centres for almost 50 years. But in the past two decades it has responded to increased demand from the education sector as schools looks to create more usable spaces, covered areas and improved facilities.
To date, Fordingbridge, which is based in West Sussex, has worked with almost 1,000 schools nationwide to improve their sites, modernise, and rejuvenate older buildings, expand facilities and to provide shelter from all weathers.
“The requirements of the education market have changed, even in the last five years or so,” explained Adam Collier, the company’s technical sales manager.
“Initially, we had lots of demands for covered play spaces leading directly from classrooms but now we are looking more at cost-effective alternatives to traditional builds, such as canopies which can provide an enclosed dining area or covered PE space year-round, for example, without any physical obstruction.”
Fordingbridge offers eight main school accommodation solutions:
1, Outdoor dining areas
When Arthur Mellows Village College in Peterborough needed an outside space for its sixth form it approached Fordingbridge to design and install a structural timber, barrel vault canopy which provides a practical space for learning and socialising and can be used all year round.
2, Courtyard covers and walkways
Covers and walkways are among the most popular structures required by schools. Fordingbridge was tasked to design and install a small cantilever canopy outside the science block at Winchcombe School in Cheltenham to provide shelter for pupils queueing for their lessons and somewhere to go at breaktimes. The previously underused space can now be utilised all year round.
3, Tensile coverings
Watford Grammar School needed a space for students to dine and socialise as well as needing to smarten an otherwise bland building in its school grounds. A 144m2 triple conic tensile fabric structure, which is waterproof and offers high UV protection, provided exactly the transformation the school needed. Aside from its practical uses, it also added some affordable flair to the school site.
4, Atrium canopies
A steel tapered trellis canopy has effortlessly transformed an underused courtyard which previously served only as a route between buildings at Philip Morant School and College in Colchester. The canopy created a bright, weather-protected space which is now used for socialising, dining, and outdoor learning. The versatility of the structure means that a first-floor level walkway can be added at a later date if required.
5, Outdoor classrooms
A robust fabric roofing material, developed exclusively for Fordingbridge, on a steel frame has turned a large outside space into a theatre and drama area at Thamesmead School in Middlesex. This versatile structure is fully functional and weather-protected and can be used for performing, learning, socialising, and dining.
6, Outdoor locker spaces
Space-saving does not come much bigger than at Walton High School in Milton Keynes, where Fordingbridge erected a steel canopy over an outside space to create a covered area to house 600 student lockers. The structure has removed restrictions on corridor space within the school, in line with the school’s disabled access policy. Detachable side “curtains” can be used to reduce exposure to wind and driving rain.
7, Entrance canopies
Staff from Fordingbridge have been invited back repeatedly to complete a variety of different installations at The Sandon School in Chelmsford. Initially tasked with a large entrance canopy to protect parents, staff and visitors from inclement weather, the company has since also installed a 165m2 courtyard canopy to allow for additional dining space and most recently a 50m2 cycle store.
8, MUGA canopies
When Bexhill Academy in East Sussex needed to upgrade existing sports facilities, it turned to Fordingbridge to erect a MUGA (multi-use games area) canopy, to allow year-round netball play in all weathers. The company provided drawings for planning and a build programme for tender, along with a bespoke design to mount the canopy frame to an existing wall surrounding an adjacent 3G pitch. MUGA canopies are rapidly becoming one of Fordingbridge’s most popular structures among schools.
Recommending Fordingbridge
Referrals and returning clients now form more than half of Fordingbridge’s education business, making it the market leader in the sector, Mr Collier explained.
“We offer industry-beating lead times, warranties and accreditations, with a big focus on sustainability and the use of recycled materials and installation net-zero carbon buildings,” he continued.
“Most of our materials are recycled. We are also able to cover large areas in a single span, which makes us very competitive. We are by far and away the market leader in timber canopies and have a vast portfolio which provides a cost-effective alternative to a traditional build and future-proof in versatility and flexibility of use.
“We have also developed a set of standard components to create a bespoke solution, but without the bespoke prices.”
An easy four-step process
Fordingbridge supports schools using a four-step process. Mr Collier explained: “Everything we do, from the start to the end of the process, is in-house, which gives us full autonomy. We do not outsource any of the elements of the work, so if we run into a challenge or problem we are in control and can deal with it immediately.”
Stage one: The initial approach from the school and a site visit by Fordingbridge. Having assessed the school’s requirements, the company representative will draft an outline proposal and quotation for the cost of the work.
Stage two: The design phase. There are seven in-house design technicians, all with vast experience, who will undertake the design and go through the entire process with the client, based on their needs, the budget, and the space they need to work with. Mr Collier explained: “I like to offer a multitude of options on the design and materials so the school can present several possibilities to the wider team and its trust or governors. We provide them with an option on the material of the frame – which is likely to be steel or timber – and on the roof – which might be a tensile fabric, bespoke Opal 60, or triple walled polycarbonate. We also offer the option of a green roof for growing material to be placed on top. We can then rule out what won’t work for them and amalgamate the design to fit with their needs and budget.”
Stages three & four: The third phase involves the manufacturing of the structure, and the fourth stage is, of course, the delivery and installation. The timescales for work completion will vary on the design, budgets and whether planning permissions are required, but a structure can be erected in as little as 10 weeks from the original point of contact. Mr Collier added: “In most cases, we are talking about weeks or months, depending on the nature of the structure.”
Specific support
Fordingbridge can support the school right from the feasibility stage and will also work with schools facing specific challenges, such as complex planning permission processes.
Mr Collier explained: “In one case I’ve been in contact with a school for a couple of years because the building work required specific planning permission. We have also recently been working in green belt areas where additional survey and environmental studies must be carried out.
However, he added: “Completing every step of the process in-house means we can find speedy resolutions to any problems. For example, if we get to site and start digging and suddenly find something that we weren’t expecting – like underground services or cabling that are not accounted for on surveys – then we can alert the necessary agencies to do what they need to do so that we can continue with the work.”
Further information: For more details about how Fordingbridge can support your school, visit www.fordingbridge.co.uk/sectors/school-canopies or call 01243 55 44 55. You can also email info@fordingbridge.co.uk or contact the Fordingbridge team via www.fordingbridge.co.uk/contact/
Knowledge Bank: This article has been published by SecEd with sponsorship from Fordingbridge. It has been written and produced to a brief agreed in advance with Fordingbridge.