New £8 million Hailsham Primary Academy handed over 11 weeks ahead of schedule

Morgan Sindall Construction embraced modern methods of construction to deliver the new £8 million primary and nursery school in Hailsham, East Sussex.

Hailsham Community College Primary Academy forms part of the Hailsham Community College Academy Trust. Morgan Sindall Construction has delivered the two-storey, two form primary and nursery school on behalf of East Sussex County Council.

The project was procured through the Orbis framework, which is a shared services partnership between East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and Surrey County Council. The framework partnership ethos brought multiple benefits to the scheme through early preconstruction involvement and integration of the Morgan Sindall Construction and client stakeholder teams.

Morgan Sindall Construction delivered the project in an impressive 44 weeks from start to finish, enabling the new school to be handed over 11 weeks ahead of schedule. To mark this achievement the project team gave guests a special tour of the new building, followed by a celebratory handover ceremony.

The selected building solution was a modern method of construction, utilising a modular system comprising structural timber panels by specialist contractor Streif.

The design of the panelled system is fully coordinated with all of the other building elements design and was constructed off site to high quality and then delivered to the project over a total of 35 deliveries.

The panels are delivered with external windows, doors and glazing pre-installed, as well as internal wall boarding, external and internal insulation, and electrical containment all in place.

This modular system is one of a number of solutions provided by Morgan Sindall Construction to achieve reduced duration school projects, ensuring that handovers meet critical occupation dates for their clients.

Using this modern system reduced site deliveries by over 50 per cent and provided a safe and watertight environment for site operatives far earlier than the equivalent traditional build.

Reduced material deliveries combined with 75 per cent reduction in operative journeys to site have resulted in an impressive saving of an estimated 84,000 miles. This not only goes towards reducing the Co2 footprint of the project, but also greatly reduces the impact on local roads and infrastructure throughout the construction phase.

With social value high on the agenda, Morgan Sindall Construction’s project team has formed a close working relationship with Hailsham Community College, hosting several construction career talks with their students and providing opportunities for work experience and site visits.

As well as working closely with Hailsham Community College, the project team has been involved with many initiatives in the wider community, raising a total of more than £16,000 for local charities and giving up 180 hours for volunteering and work with local organisations.

It’s estimated the project has generated in excess of £300,000 for local social value, over and above that generated by the building work itself.

Steve Sear, senior project manager at Morgan Sindall Construction and project lead on the scheme said: “We’re very proud to have delivered this state-of-the-art facility in partnership with East Sussex County Council and to have been able to deliver the project 11 weeks ahead of schedule. This is testament to what can be achieved when all parties involved in the project work together closely, collaboratively and openly.”

Phil Matthews, executive principal at Hailsham Community College, said: “We are delighted with the new primary school and we are incredibly excited to be moving into the whole building at this early point. On behalf of all the children in the Hailsham area who will benefit from these amazing facilities, I would like to thank Morgan Sindall Construction for the way in which they have worked so positively with East Sussex County Council and ourselves in order to achieve such a fantastic project.”

• For more information about this news release please contact Steph Bocking at Influential on 0151 239 5000 or email bocking@thisisinfluential.com.