Work Starts on £6.5m Coventry School

G F Tomlinson has started work at Barr’s Hill School in Coventry, which will see an expansion and remodelling of existing building, as well as creating a new teaching block for year seven pupils.

The school currently offers 655 places for children aged between 11 and 16, along with sixth form students. The expansion will ensure that the school can provide a total of 900 places in five years’ time.

G F Tomlinson is delivering the £6.5 million scheme on behalf of Coventry City Council. The works will involve the construction of a new two-storey, seven classroom teaching block known as ‘The Bridge’ for January 2022 and will also see a dedicated space for year seven pupils, designed to help 11 and 12 year-olds benefit from a smooth transition into secondary education.

Set to complete in September 2021, the works will also see the school’s science department extended and refurbished, with new classroom spaces being created in existing blocks, improved facilities added to the sports changing/multi-gym and external play spaces, along with additional dining space to accommodate the school’s expansion over the coming years.

This is the second scheme in the West Midlands which G F Tomlinson has been awarded via Pagabo’s National Framework for Medium Works. The first was the £3.7 million development of Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Coventry, which is set to complete in Summer 2021.

Andy Sewards, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson, said: “We are pleased to be working on a second project through Pagabo’s National Framework for Medium Works, and with Coventry City Council once again, to provide Barr’s Hill School with the expansion and improvement works necessary to meet growth plans to offer 245 additional places.

“The school is dedicating space to year seven pupils to help them prepare for and adjust to secondary education and the new teaching block complete with seven classrooms and high-quality facilities will enable them to do just that. Other important extensions and renovations, including works to the ICT suite, science department, dining facilities and gym – will provide new and improved learning and activity spaces for all pupils and staff members, and will accommodate a significant increase in the number of places available to children in the future. We look forward to seeing works progress on site this year.”

Emma Hesbrook, Midlands Regional Relationship Manager at Pagabo, said: “We’re really pleased to see work in motion for Barr’s Hill School to provide all-important additional pupil places for the area and a dedicated space for students to comfortably transition into the secondary education environment. Creating environments that benefit all users – in this case pupils and staff – is central to what we do at Pagabo, so we’re exceptionally happy to be playing a part in delivering excellent facilities for the education of the professionals of tomorrow.

“We are delighted that we have been able to appoint the right delivery partner for the scheme. Procuring services from G F Tomlinson ensures that the client is in a safe pair of hands, something that is incredibly important given the constraints and complexities of the existing site.

“This is the second appointment in the West Midlands for G F Tomlinson via our frameworks, with the first also being a school for the same client in Coventry. We look forward to seeing work progress on both of these sites, ultimately adding to the education provision for the City.”

G F Tomlinson is delivering the project alongside Seymour Harris Architects, BWB Consulting Ltd and ABA Consulting.

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