Project

Atherton Community

This was a fast-track project to refurbish and fit out an existing school building.
  • Customer
    Chapel Street Trust
  • Completion Date
    August 2013
  • Value
    £5.3 million
  • Area
    59,202 sq ft
  • Program Duration
    27 weeks
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Overview

This was a fast-track project to refurbish and fit out an existing school building to create Greater Manchester’s first free school. The project sees ISG transform a disused secondary school in Atherton, Greater Manchester, into Atherton Community School; a Free School delivered by Chapel St Community Schools Trust, along with local parents, teachers and community leaders.

 
The new premises can accommodate up to 650 pupils, including a dedicated sixth form teaching block with capacity for up to 200 students. The project was awarded via the North West Construction Hub Medium Value Framework.

The project

The refurbishment project involved the demolition of the existing Design & Technology block and drama studio, along with the complete strip out to shell and core of the remainder of the building. The school was then remodelled, upgraded and fitted out to modern education standards, including the installation of efficient M&E services, the creation of new classrooms including music studios and IT suites, toilet blocks, a commercial kitchen and staff rooms.

ISG also replaced all the existing windows and doors, and used a mix of new and existing vinyl flooring. The new school is fully DDA compliant and features a platform lift and ramps to facilitate disabled access between floors. ISG delivered a full turnkey construction solution, including equipping the Science and Design & Technology blocks with specialist laboratory equipment.

Externally, ISG was responsible for creating a new car park for the sixth form and remodelling the current landscaping to provide an improved environment and enhanced accessibility. The project included the construction of a canopy between two school blocks and a new bike shelter for use by staff and pupils.