Classroom Hire Solution

The Requirement

Following the closure of another school in the area, the pupil intake at Farnborough School in Nottingham - a specialist technology college - was planned to increase by around 170 students.  This required a rapid expansion and reorganisation of the teaching facilities as an interim measure until the Farnborough site is redeveloped under the Building Schools for the Future initiative.


The Solution

The school selected a highly sustainable modular building solution from Foremans to provide purpose-designed accommodation for its Humanities Faculty and Art Department over the next three years.

Foremans currently has another pre-owned modular classroom building on hire at the school and so following a successful tender, were given the challenge of delivering a second contract to a demanding timescale of just three months from receipt of order to fitting out.

On hire from Foremans for three years, the two-storey teaching block comprises 34 recycled and refurbished steel-framed modules which were craned into position during school holidays to minimise disruption to the school.

The modular approach maximised off-site working which was essential for such a constrained site with limited access.


Purpose-designed Accommodation

Foremans refurbished and reconfigured a recycled modular building to the school's exact requirements, creating seven additional general classrooms, two art rooms, a dark room for photography, kiln room and computer suite.

Foremans also undertook the foundations and fitting out - and delivered the whole project on time and on budget.

Established in the 1950s, Farnborough School is a co-educational comprehensive intake specialist day school with around 1,000 pupils.  The new building provides a safe, bright, customised, welcoming and efficient environment for staff and students, which also benefits from views over open countryside.


Comments from the Client

Martin Sanderson, Deputy Headteacher at Farnborough School:

"You would never know this is a recycled building. It looks and feels like a new facility. Inside the classrooms really are as good as a traditionally-built building.  The staff, pupils and governors are all impressed with the quality."

"We were delighted with the help, care, support and service we received from the Foremans team.  Having used their building solutions before, we were confident in their ability to deliver this challenging and time-sensitive project."

"It was critical that the new building was up and running in time for the new pupil intake.  This was achieved with Foremans' excellent organisation, flexible approach, and willingness to ensure the building met our precise and detailed requirements.  We are confident in recommending Foremans without reservation.  Their performance was outstanding."


The Advantages of Recycled Modular Buildings

Foremans specialises in the supply of quality recycled and refurbished modular buildings, designed to individual project requirements.  In addition to its sustainability benefits, the approach offers a range of other advantages:

• A highly cost-effective alternative to new build
• Programme times for high quality interim or permanent school buildings are reduced by up to 70 per cent
• Off-site working is maximised for safer, quieter and cleaner sites and reduced disruption to teaching
• The buildings can be easily expanded, reconfigured or removed if education requirements change
• High quality steel-framed modular buildings are built to last and require fewer groundworks than traditional site-based construction - further reducing cost, disruption and programme times.