Celebrating excellence in UK school design and construction
Celebrating excellence in UK school design and construction The BCSE Awards, now in their second year, identify and reward excellence in the UK school design and construction sector. This year the quality of submissions was extremely high with 170 entries across the 13 categories. The judges have chosen a range of projects, individuals and teams to recognise their contribution to school design in the last year. In particular the Inspiring Design for Schools category delivered a range of fantastic projects and 6 awards were made to recognise the very best examples of school design in the UK. The entries this year are a welcome opportunity to celebrate great work by architects, suppliers, construction firms, local authorities, teachers and pupils, despite these challenging times. The strong shortlist and exciting list of winners show that we have much to be proud of. We hope you will find this book inspiring in the diversity of projects it contains. Ranging in size and covering a wide geographic area, every project is worthy of praise. We know there are many more examples of good practice out there and look forward to an even larger entry next year. Finally, our thanks to all our sponsors without whom the Awards would not have been possible.
Judging Panel Sharon Wright (BCSE Associate) Chair Jane Briginshaw (DCSF) Levent Caglar (FIRA) Kenn Fisher (Rubida Research) Sean Fishlock & Tina Frost (Navigant) Ty Goddard (BCSE) Mairi Johnson (Partnerships for Schools) Ged Mitchell (Manchester City Council) Scott Prisco (EQ Architecture) Rachel Toms (CABE) Ewan Willars (RIBA) Nina Woodcock (BECTA)
Evaluation Panel Sharon Wright (BCSE Associate) Chair Andrew Beard (Andrew Beard Architect) Hal Maclean (Cleveratom) Jon Mussett (BRE) Andrew Siddall (civic Architects)
Ty Goddard Chief Executive British Council for School Environments To join BCSE visit www.bcse.uk.net
BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Index of Award Winners
Capita Symonds is the only UK consultancy that can combine expert strategic advice from experienced educationalists with innovative architectural, engineering and project management expertise to deliver world-class learning environments. Our educationalists and designers have developed a range of engagement tools that provide meaningful dialogue with children and young people, school professionals, and local authority teams from a project’s concept stage right through to completion. This highly collaborative approach enables us to fully understand and embrace the educational requirements and aspirations of all stakeholders. We have an unrivalled track record of partnership working with the Department for Children, Schools & Families (DCSF), Learning & Skills Council (LSC), Partnerships for Schools (PfS), and local authorities in Waves 1-6A of Building Schools for the Future (BSF). We are also the leading consultants in the Academies programme, having successfully delivered Academies across the UK. Be it ground-breaking and award-winning eco-schools such as the Academy of St Francis of Assisi in Liverpool and Howe Dell in Hertfordshire; major BSF programmes in Nottingham and Lancashire; or Academies that provide a focal point for their local communities, Capita Symonds is undoubtedly the leading innovator in the UK education sector.
Inspiring Design: Schools Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios for St Mary Magdalene Academy, Islington GM+AD Architects for Hazelwood School, Glasgow Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council for Christ the King Centre for Learning, Knowsley Milton Keynes Council for Water Hall Primary School, Milton Keynes Nicholas Hare Architects for Golden Lane Campus, Islington Penoyre & Prasad Architects for Merchants’ Academy, Bristol Best Extension, Refurbishment or Remodel of a School Buschow Henley for The Cloister’s Building, St Benedict’s School, Ealing Haverstock Associates LLP for Ifield School, Kent Best School Contractor Morgan Ashurst Best School Architect Nicholas Hare Architects Best Use of ICT to Create a Learning Community VT Education & Skills for Forest Hill School, Lewisham Award for Greening the School Community Nottinghamshire County Council for Bowbridge Primary School, Nottinghamshire Best External Learning Environment colour:urban design ltd for Moorside Community Primary School, Newcastle Upon Tyne Best Healthy Learning Environment Manchester City Council for Gorton Education Village, Manchester Inspiring Design - International Arup Associates for Druk White Lotus School, India HOK for Hailybury Almaty School, Kazakhstan
www.capitasymonds.co.uk
Best Client Team Cornwall County Council for Penryn College, Cornwall Inspirational Educational Professional Dr Paul Kelley, Headteacher, Monkseaton High School, North Tyneside Judges Award Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council for their approach to Building Schools for the Future
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BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspiring Design Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios for St Mary Magdalene Academy, Islington St Mary Magdalene Academy and Rosedale Early Years Centre are situated in a single new building providing educational facilities for 1360 children from early years to sixth form. The Academy provides a new secondary facility and has incorporated St Mary Magdalene Primary School, which has existed in various forms on the site since the 18th Century. The building also provides accommodation for the Rosedale Early Years Centre, whose previous facilities occupied a corner of the site. The new building makes full use of its tight urban site to provide a succession of high quality internal and external spaces and a separate entrance on its own street for each school. Extensive consultation was undertaken before the design process started, and stakeholders were involved throughout the design and construction. The result is a new three storey building with early years and reception on the ground floor, opening to their own playground, and the primary phase spread over two floors with terraces. The majority of the secondary classrooms are grouped around a central atrium, providing generous breakout spaces and a strong visual connection through the school and to the outside world. Breakfast and lunch are served to the secondary pupils on the ground floor of the atrium – the forum – a space which is also used for teaching, presentations, performance or simply catching up on world news projected on the wall. The halls building is the Academy’s most public face and sits on the busiest street that bounds the site, providing a “shop window” for display. Above the school hall is the sports hall and a roof top pitch with dramatic views across London from Alexandra Palace to Crystal Palace. This allows the local community to see into the Academy, and the Academy to look out to its local and wider communities. St Mary Magdalene Academy is an unashamedly modern building and provides a strong civic and urban presence that emphasizes the value of education and its vital place in society. The Judges saw this scheme as a wonderful response to bringing three schools together into a single building on a tight urban site. The use of modern material to deliver a strong civic identity was thought to be particularly successful.
Davis Langdon In the schools sector there is the potential to create a climate where all things are possible. The challenges are myriad, the issues are complex. Davis Langdon’s Education Group has a specialist team working on a variety of schools projects. We understand the divergent aspirations and requirements of multi-stakeholder environments. www.davislangdon.com/EME/Sectors/Pub/Educ/Sch/AboutSchools
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BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspiring Design GM+AD Architects for Hazelwood School, Glasgow
Hazelwood is a co-educational, inter-denominational school for children and young people aged 2-19 years. It is a purpose built school designed to meet the requirements of pupils with multiple impairments including visual impairment, hearing impairment, mobility and/ or cognitive impairment. This new school has been built to replace two existing facilities, located within the Glasgow area, which had very similar student profiles. The aim of the students’ school experience is to develop their life learning skills and increase their independence. The curriculum is multi-sensory and differentiated to meet individual student needs. The design of the games hall, trampoline area, hydrotherapy pool and outdoor spaces allow pupils to explore, extend their skills and gain confidence by relatively independent activity. The unique sensory wall which weaves through the school enables the children to practice mobility and orientation skills which increase confidence and self-esteem. Signage throughout the school is in Braille, picture and moon and caters for the communication skills of all the children. Subtle colour and adaptable lighting enable pupils to use their residual vision to maximum advantage. The new Headteacher was employed two years before the school opened, recognising the complexity of the buildings requirements and providing a resource to co-ordinate the interests of the various users. Specialist consultants, such as Professor Gordon Dutton, and ophthalmic specialist, were involved to add expertise to the design process. The architects also had continuous contact with staff, headteachers and experts throughout the design process. The design of the new school focused on creating a safe, stimulating and challenging environment for pupils. The school building has been created as a learning aid, aimed at maximizing the students’ independence. The outside spaces are a key part of the teaching philosophy of the school and provide a sheltered environment for access to fresh air and to provide a sensory experience. Natural larch weatherboarding offers tactile qualities and a stimulating smell. The Judges thought Hazelwood School was a beautifully designed and executed example of a school for children with multiple needs. The design process had been carefully developed to deliver a building which incorporated the best practice and created a positive and tailored experience for its users.
Morgan Ashurst Morgan Ashurst is a leading provider of education facilities throughout the UK, with expertise that ranges from the construction of new community colleges, learning centres and student accommodation to renovating, extending and refurbishing some of Britain’s oldest and most famous academic institutions. It is part of Morgan Sindall plc, a top UK construction and regeneration group. www.morganashurst.com
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BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspiring Design Knowsley MBC for Christ the King Centre for Learning, Knowsley
Knowsley’s approach to BSF has been to create buildings which respond directly to the nature of learning in the 21st century, preparing for personalised learning, but also to recognise the needs of the whole child and adopt a ‘school within a school’ approach through the introduction of homebases. Their Centres for Learning are also promoting healthier, happier and engaged children. Christ the King has enhanced the quality of the learning environment for its users with the following features: An atrium at the heart of the Centre for Learning (CfL), offering a large double height open space which can be adapted for a variety of learning, cultural and social use while also creating a magnificent welcoming light entrance. Locally young people requested that large centres are divided into home/family groupings with Homebases. These incorporate a variety of spaces including learning studios and open breakout areas based around a ‘village square’. This accommodates a range of different learning styles. Learning spaces are more flexible and longer opening hours allow the community to use the centre for educational, cultural and leisure use, so spaces are multifunctional to adapt to their needs. The Learning Resource Area has replaced the traditional library and offers increased opportunities for more interactive learning through the provision of wireless technologies, IT banks and library resources. External Terrace & Winter Garden provide opportunities for ‘indoor outdoor learning’ with a series of external terraces attached to each homebase. This has included an internal winter garden – a covered yet permeable space which enables pupils to explore sustainability and environmental learning. A series of ‘warehouses’ deliver specialist subjects such as science, technology and the Arts. The CfL is WiFi enabled and Knowsley has developed a virtual personalised learning environment for every student. The Judges were impressed by Knowsley’s ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders in the development of Christ the King Centre for Learning. This exciting new building provides an imaginative and flexible range of general and specialist learning spaces designed with the 21st Century curriculum at its heart. Steljes Steljes is a leading supplier of interactive technologies within the education sector, most notably through its exclusive relationship with SMART Technologies. Within BSF Steljes has worked with 14 of the 17 programs in wave one to inform and support technology adoption to transform teaching and learning for the 21st century. www.steljes.co.uk
BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspiring Design Milton Keynes Council for Water Hall Primary School, Milton Keynes
Water Hall is a brand new 315 place 4-11 school, with attached Nursery and dedicated ‘Community/Extended School’ spaces. The old Water Hall was the worst condition school in Milton Keynes, in one of the most deprived communities in the city. The new school has transformed the teaching and learning environment, providing a light and airy building with all spaces overlooking an external courtyard. This Kaleidoscope space, designed to raise confidence and self-esteem in young people through the use of colour, light and sound, creates a safe external teaching and social space. Classrooms are bigger, have lots of natural light and ventilation and are served by a new wired/wireless IT network. Specialist teaching areas and core facilities are highly specified and strategically placed for ease of access. Children can see, learn about and observe sustainability in action. A 15 metre wind turbine provides up to 15% of the school’s energy. A meter has been installed in the school so that children can monitor energy use. Mature trees have been saved throughout the site to provide shade areas and the buildings and grounds are now used as a learning tool in their own right. Soon after the funding was secured to build the new school, School Works were commissioned to organise and co-facilitate a Design Festival. The resultant report acted as a key reference point for the development of the design. The Landscape Architecture Team have held regular workshops with pupils to develop the design of the external spaces. A professional artist was appointed via the Council’s ‘% for Art’ programme and a budget of £30,000 was provided for unique artwork to be integrated into the school building. The Judges thought this was an outstanding example of a new primary school which met the needs of its community and delivered a beautiful, sustainable building. The central courtyard is particularly effective and creates a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Most importantly, the building reflects the school’s ethos and is much loved by those who use it.
BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspiring Design Nicholas Hare Architects for Golden Lane Campus, Islington
Golden Lane Campus is the result of the amalgamation of three successful schools onto a single site in central London. Located adjacent to the Grade II listed Barbican Centre, the campus relocated and integrated Richard Cloudesley School, for children and young people with physical disabilities, Prior Weston Primary School and Fortune Park Children’s Centre as part of a commitment to inclusive education for all and removing barriers to achievement. A key feature of the spatial organisation is the ‘street’, which runs east-west through the building at ground and first floor, acting as a unifying device for the campus. This culminates in the central flexible space, or ‘town square’, off which the various community and primary shared spaces are arranged. As well as the halls, bookable meeting rooms are provided for activities ranging from adult support, education and training classes to circus training, salsa dancing and yoga. Placed off the street to the sides of the central space are the schools and professional therapy suites included in the building. The hierarchy of the building means that the children graduate from the ground level to primary school upstairs when they reach the age of five. Pupils from Richard Cloudesley access all levels of the campus and are actively involved in Prior Weston school life. Some of the roofs also double as playgrounds. In addition, all the classrooms open onto an external courtyard or playground, dedicated where necessary to a certain classroom cluster or age group. From the roadside, the school presents a colourful façade of red, blue and yellow framed by sparkling white blockwork. The materials and colours of the internal façade are more muted - intended to be a calm background to the colour that will fill it (the play equipment, drawings and other objects added by the children) and the landscape architects’ external work. Internally a similar strategy is employed, keeping the finishes calm and maximising natural light where possible. Coordinated flashes of colour are used to highlight and identify certain areas, and also function as a wayfinding alternative to signage. The project was characterised by extensive community consultation and involvement, driven largely by a passionate set of stakeholders including the heads, teaching staff and governors. The Judges felt Golden Lane Campus was a very successful example of how thoughtful co-location of mainstream and special school activities can be achieved, even with the challenges of a tight urban site. The resulting building works for a wide range of users and sits beautifully in its community.
BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspiring Design Penoyre & Prasad Architects for Merchants’ Academy, Bristol
Merchants’ Academy is designed to provide a unique and specialised learning environment, including a sixth form, for 1150 secondary pupils. Sponsored by the Merchants’ Academy Trust (DCSF, Society of Merchant Venturers and University of Bristol) the academy is based on a distinctive vision for the school as a learning village. It offers a welcoming, safe, non-institutional environment and in doing so aims to tackle real issues of previously poor attendance and low academic aspirations amongst the students. An overall campus feel breaks down scale and provides a variety of non-institutionalised internal and external spaces for organised learning and socialising. The academy is organised into a cloistered courtyard with five pavilions each hosting a different faculty. A single point of entrance leads to the area of the school which is effectively its heart, and contains the learning resource centre, careers centre, and a high quality dining facility. The co-location of core aspects of school life in one area ensures that the heart space is a genuinely vibrant focal point which will engender a sense of belonging and strengthen the school’s identity. The use of glazing, especially in informal or open plan spaces creates ‘shopfronts’ which celebrate the education process throughout the school and presents a less institutionalised face of learning. The external courtyard provides containment and security, yet with views out beyond the school and with different areas, it gives a sense of freedom and choice for pupils. The external areas are landscaped and contain banks of lockers under cover. This organisation of the academy has enhanced the learning environment as it has provided internal and external hearts for the academy. The creation of different identities for faculties assists wayfinding and visibility. The design allows a significant amount of primary circulation to be reallocated within the faculties and heart. This space is then used more effectively for stimulating social space and additional breakout teaching space. The Judges felt that this was a thoughtful and well designed Academy which had fully engaged the school community in the process and had created a building with long term flexibility to meet changing needs. Highly Commended: • architecture plb for St Matthew Academy, Lewisham • dRMM for Kingsdale School, Southwark • Haverstock Associates LLP for Agar Children’s Centre, Camden • Haverstock Associates LLP for Thomas Fairchild Children’s Centre, Hackney • HLM Architects for Wood View Learning Centre, Plymouth • Hunters for The Avenue School, reading • Mentor and Leeds BSF for Pudsey Grangefield School, Leeds • Nicholas Hare Architects for Joseph Chamberlaine Sixth Form College, Birmingham • North Ayrshire Council for Dalry Primary School, North Ayrshire • Sprunt for New North Community School, Islington
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Best Extension, Refurbishment or Remodel of a School Buschow Henley for The Cloister’s Building, St Benedict’s School, Ealing
St Benedict’s is an independent Catholic school, founded in 1902. This project has seen the Senior School building refurbished and extended to provide a new reception area, central hall for examinations and assemblies, a chapel and 14 extra classrooms. The new building has connected the school on three levels, reducing crowding in corridors and improving the experience of moving around the building for staff and students. An early design decision was to plan the new building, like Russian dolls, with the examination hall inside the one for assemblies, and to put them at the heart of the school where they would radically change the school’s physical environment. Together the physical form, and plan, of the halls creates a strong symbol of the school’s spiritual and scholastic heritage in the form of a cloister. For the first time, the whole school can fit in one space for assemblies, and can hear and see the speaker clearly. The chapel at the top of the school is well placed for quiet prayer, Mass and other services. The school now has a focal point for religious activity. New cloakroom facilities for the pupils have been essential, as the school has moved to full coeducation. There was wide consultation with all the partners to develop the design and to deliver it at the centre of the school while it remained operational on the site. Catholic/Benedictine symbolism plays a very important part in the design. The new Chapel above the Hall is lit by a single skylight that makes the sign of a cross. From below, the gold hull of the Chapel can be seen resting on the Hall’s roof beams. Materially, the concrete spaces are akin to those in a medieval monastery. Robust, they have a certain acoustic and are proving to be a good foil for teenage exuberance. The Judges felt this was a beautiful design solution which carefully reflected the culture and ethos of the school and provided flexible spaces at its heart. The cloistered hall at the centre of the school adds a new dimension to the building and is now used by the whole school community to great effect.
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Best Extension, Refurbishment or Remodel of a School Haverstock Associates LLP for Ifield School, Kent
This project is a new extension, remodel and refurbishment to an existing primary and secondary SEN school in Gravesend for Kent County Council. The new building provides accommodation for 138 students with profound, severe and complex needs. Given that a student may spend their entire educational life at the school, they should have the sense of ‘progressing’ around the school. As the age of the student increases, the spaces they inhabit are designed to become more mature. The new exterior facades are designed to provide a secure, but welcoming shell. The new canopies and rendered walls suggest entering a protected building and give shelter for minibuses dropping off wheelchair users. Once inside the building and on the pedestrian side of the fences, the building becomes softer, more transparent and sympathetic, culminating in the central soft courtyard heart of the building. Poorly used external areas around the existing building have been transformed into the new sensory courtyard. This is made of softer materials and is protective of the more vulnerable students, yet has a sense of openness. The primary students are all now given direct access from classrooms to a secure external space, essential for students of this age and nature. The original main school block was fully and extensively refurbished. All elements were tired and/or past their useful life. The internal layout of the building was poor, including circulation through rooms, and internal level changes were unsuitable for wheelchair users. The new design eliminated all of the major design issues within the school. The hall size was doubled, a new hydrotherapy pool built and all classroom sizes were extended and circulation widths increased. The Judges felt this was a fantastic example of how a special school could be updated and refreshed through thoughtful and inclusive design. Real partnership working allowed the school to remain open during the construction phase and the result is a building which works for all its users. Highly Commended: • cazenove for Ann Taylor Children’s Centre, Hackney • Surface to Air Architects for the Rotunda, Slough • Urban Salon Ltd for Falmouth School, Cornwall
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Best School Contractor Morgan Ashurst
Morgan Ashurst is a leading full-service construction business with more than 2,000 employees in the UK. Recent education projects include Rye Community Primary School which was designed to provide the best environment for learning, both internally and externally. The school features a curved plan with a central circulation corridor to provide a non institutional feel. The school also includes a number of sustainable measures such as: • Exposed finishes assist in thermal mass to reduce temperature fluctuations and stack ventilation through the central corridor to assist in air quality. • Wood, glass and metal waste were all segregated at site ready for recycling • A sedum roof, naturally cultivated and brought to site in rolls, laid and irrigated to reduce heat gain through the roof and provide a natural habitat area for wildlife. • Sweet chestnut cladding was used as a rain screen, resourced from a local supplier who uses every piece and finger joints to obtain longer lengths. This supplier replaces and manages his own coppicing to ensure a continuous cycle of planting. • A ground source heat pump providing 20% of the school’s heating and thus reduces the overall energy costs and increases insulation above Building Regulation Requirements. • The energy monitor records water, gas and electricity usage in the school. Displayed in the main corridor it provides an excellent tool for educational learning and also lifecycle costings for the staff / teachers and pupils to discuss ways of lowering the energy consumption. As part of Morgan Ashurst’s ‘Perfect Delivery strategy’ at the start of all projects they established the client’s key objective, for East Sussex County Council this was: “Completion on Time and to an Accepted Budget” Value engineering started prior to commencement on site and then a twice monthly detailed cost meeting was held. The project was managed to achieve a cost certainty well in advance of the contract completion. It also proved invaluable to the client who could track what funds were remaining and what they could afford. The structural steel frame came in over budget, due to the complexity & total quantity of curved steelwork to achieve this design, which if not resolved quickly would have resulted in a four week delay on site. The whole team united together & discussed/brainstormed all potential options to overcome and simplify the design, to drastically reduce costs and improve buildability. East Sussex County Council played a major part in helping minimise delays through the local authority approval process. As a result of these strong relationships the client commenced fit out works 3 weeks prior to hand over instead of just 1 week, enabling staff to prepare for a smooth transition from building site to live school environment. The Judges felt that Morgan Ashurst demonstrated a commitment to developing productive relationships amongst the team right from the start of their projects. Their effective management processes enable the needs of their clients to be put first at all times.
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Best School Architect Nicholas Hare Architects
Nicholas Hare Architects has been actively involved in education design for many years. Over the past eighteen months they have completed Golden Lane Campus, an innovative solution to combine three schools onto one tight site, a successful inclusive primary, special needs school and children’s centre. Solihull BSF Park Hall opened in October 2008 as did three schools for the Bromsgrove PFI – Sidemoor, Parkside Meadows and North Bromsgrove High School. Remodelling with new building projects at Bancroft’s school, Coldfall Haringey and Felsted school’s new music school have also become fully operational. Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College, Birmingham, was completed in August 2008, creating a new college in one of the most deprived areas of the country. Nicholas Hare believe that pupils need their experience of learning to be positive. A well designed school will provide creative learning spaces to enhance that experience and encourage aspiration. As well as adaptable teaching spaces, they aim to create a variety of working space scales to respond to the different ways in which we all learn, spaces for one to one teaching and personal learning, discussion zones and display areas in the interstices between the more formal spaces. And they also think carefully about learning opportunities associated with outdoor spaces, including the interface of the classrooms with the space immediately outside which can dramatically influence the activities that can be managed. As a practice, they firmly believe that the nature of both a building brief and the site mean the best building solutions put diverse groups of people at the heart of the design process. They also support events such as Science Week, discussing environmental and sustainable design solutions and Big Arts Week, engaging with students to discuss and interpret school design. The Judges felt that Nicholas Hare Architects had demonstrated a very strong portfolio of school projects over the past 18 months. They had worked extremely well with their clients and, as a result, delivered bespoke educational spaces which enhanced their broader environments. Highly Commended: • Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios • GM+AD Architects • Haverstock Associates LLP • Penoyre & Prasad Architects HOK HOK is made up of 25 design studios situated across the globe. From its beginning in 1955, the design of high quality, innovative educational environments for Schools, Colleges and Universities have been a key part of its practice. Currently the London studio is developing new ideas for education spaces in the UK as well as a number of British Schools in Africa, Central and South East Asia. www.hok.com
BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Best Use of ICT to Create a Learning Community Learning and teaching mathematics through wireless access at Forest Hill School, supported by VT.
VT Education & Skills for Forest Hill School, Lewisham
Forest Hill School re-opened in January 2008 and is the first Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funded secondary school within the London Borough of Lewisham to benefit from a bespoke cutting edge ICT solution that enables a transformation in their learning and teaching. The ICT set-up and managed service has been tailored to the current and future needs of teaching staff and the 1500 students at Forest Hill. The integration and implementation of a wide range of the Cisco second generation managed WiFi network provides students access to resources and their own work online from anywhere on the site, giving users the flexibility they need. The network is robust enough to host 400 students online at any one time. Every teacher has a laptop; each classroom now has an interactive whiteboard and laptop docking station. The pupil to computer ratio is better than two to one. Sharepoint, Fronter Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), and the management information system (MIS) have been integrated to provide a comprehensive VLE. Use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony enables cost-free calling, both internally and externally as well as video conferencing and direct contact with the VT helpdesk. Students and the wider community have benefited from the virtual learning environment at Forest Hill School, with 24/7 access to information, applications and services. Students can use classroom based learning resources outside lesson time; work on and submit assignments online and have them marked and returned online. Ongoing sustainability has been achieved through the latest Dell and Cisco technologies. They deliver high performance and reliability with minimised power requirements, utilising the latest chipsets that reduce the power and cooling requirements for each device. This ensures that not only is the minimum radio power generated, the associated heat and power is also minimised. One central server Farm, hosted by the VT Group, minimises the servers and power consuming devices. Student and other stakeholders engagements have been to develop a shared understanding and find innovative ways to harness the aspirations and views of students, teachers and school staff. Strategies to engage teachers and students and to improve standards of learning and teaching were at the heart of the Training Plan. VTE&S worked with Forest Hill’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to identify key development priorities. An action plan was produced and progress reviewed with the SLT. An ongoing audit of staff skills and competencies within the context of learning, teaching, leadership and management will continue. The school has taken ownership of the change process and has now developed its own online audit and on-line evaluation tools. Through professional development teachers’ levels of confidence in using ICT in the classroom rose at an extraordinary pace. This involved VTE&S subject-specific consultants running sessions on, for example, English and ICT, History and ICT, Art and ICT. The Judges felt this was a very good example of how effective ICT services can be embedded in a new school to build ownership and enhance the curriculum and the learning experience for students and staff. Highly Commended: • RM for Michael Tippett School, Lambeth
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Award for Greening the School Community Nottinghamshire County Council for Bowbridge Primary School
Bowbridge Primary pupils, staff and community were involved right from the start of this project in order that the new extension could enhance the school’s place as a key part of the relatively deprived community in which it sits. There is adult education on site, a wide wireless access and pensioner luncheon clubs amongst other community initiatives, and this plays a large part in the sustainability of the wider community. The building’s core material is timber to minimise embodied energy. The frame is laminated and the timber floor, roof and walls are designed to be in a diaphragm to reduce material usage. The roof covering is single ply with the rain screen being largely cedar and windows and door timber with aluminium skin on the southern windows for longer low maintenance life. Off the classrooms is a large atrium, designed as a multi-use space which contains libraries, work areas, stairs and is lit by daylight from the large windows. The area contains the rainwater harvesting and live energy consumption readouts which are also available on the school’s intranet for curriculum use. Insulation levels are high and the ventilation and lighting system have been made simple to use and automatic with user override. Heating is provided by a biomass boiler using locally sourced and grown wood pellets. Water heating is firstly from roof mounted solar panels, topped up from the boiler or in summer electricity. The boiler has a window and stickers explaining the workings as part of the learning resource. Ventilation is natural, using a computer controlled system linked to windows and dampers on the ground floor and rooflights on the first floor. The building uses rainwater harvested water to supply the toilets and taps are noncorrosive to reduce water use. The Judges felt that the school was an exemplar of how sustainable design could be used to further wider school and community agendas. Nottinghamshire County Council, working in partnership with key stakeholders, has delivered a building fit for 21st century education and a symbol of efficient and effective sustainable design. Highly Commended: • NPS Property Consultants Ltd for Exwick Heights Primary School, Exeter
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Best External Learning Environment colour:urban design ltd for Moorside Community Primary School, Newcastle Upon Tyne The scheme draws inspiration from open ended and circular play models, natural forms, textures and manipulation of scale. The space and elements provide full opportunity for the processes of play, discovery and experimentation in this engaging sensory environment that assists learning and the forming of friendships. Moorside School has engendered a positive, creative and caring atmosphere in its whole community. The school wanted to embed these values in its external spaces. The timber stage areas are accessible and can be easily configured to suit performance with a backdrop that changes with the seasons. The Garden can facilitate den building, role play props and offer seasonal character zones that can act as stage sets. Openings in the Screen wall are used as shop fronts or simply used to sit in. Timber, rubber, grass and planting have been used to create a warmer and more inviting environment, especially on colder days. The water pump can be operated by the children and the basin filled to the brim. Releasing the plug allows water to flow the length of the playground along a shallow dished channel between the ‘Hill’ and the ‘Twisted Lounge Deck’. The children can plug up the gully in the depression and trap the water. A softer landscape can be explored between the existing and newly planted trees. Grass beneath the tree canopies invites children to shelter in the shade, study the different tree barks or attached wind charms on the branches. There are flexible activity areas such as for storytelling, performance and play - the ‘Fallen Tree Trunk’ is the prime spot for storytelling. Connected, ‘circular’ play areas and an engaging sensory environment assist learning. The new sensory and woodland edge gardens introduce species such as Butterfly Bush, Black Eyed Susan, Ornamental Onion, Goats Beard, Ferns, Pines and Birch trees. The Judges felt this was a beautifully thought through design which maximized the external areas for play and social activities, providing a range of uses and looking to fire the imagination of the pupils who interact with it. Highly Commended: • Nicholas Hare Architects for Golden Lane Campus, Islington • Penoyre & Prasad Architects for Merchants’ Academy, Bristol • Sjolander da Cruz Architects for Percy Shurmer Primary School, Birmingham
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BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Best Healthy Learning Environment Manchester City Council for Gorton Education Village, Manchester
Gorton Education Village(GEV) set out to create an environment which feels comfortable and secure, and promotes mental and physical wellbeing. The design emerged from an extended period of consultation with the staff, students and governing bodies of Melland and Cedar Mount High schools. Priority was given to maximizing natural light and providing improved air quality. A system of providing fresh external air, both ambient and heated, was developed and rigorously trialed for 18 months in an existing school environment. Sport and physical well-being have been a high priority for both schools and the new campus includes a full size artificial football pitch, four three-quarter size grass pitches, athletics track and cricket pitches, two fully equipped sports halls, indoor cricket nets, and a hydrotherapy pool, all available for community use, and a boxing club. Staff fitness is not forgotten either, in addition to the above facilities which are also available to staff, an area has been set aside to form a staff gymnasium. The whole GEV site, extending to eight acres, includes areas set aside for horticulture and extensive natural habitat areas. The food on offer, both at the main counters and the Bistro, which provide healthy food and snacks all day, is diverse and hugely popular. The school is also equipped to provide Halal prepared meals. Staff and pupils mingle comfortably at break and meal times in the area of the Bistro, nurturing an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Staff in both schools used two phrases more than any other when describing what the new building meant to them and their pupils: “it has changed my life” and “a sense of wellbeing”. There’s a collective feeling here that at long last these children have the building and resources they deserve. The Judges applauded Gorton Education Village for taking a holistic view of staff, student and community wellbeing, resulting in a school with good environmental conditions, extensive sports facilities, healthy food options and wide community ownership.
Highly Commended: • Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council for Christ the King Centre for Learning, Knowsley • SCABAL for Superstudio at Haggerston School, Hackney
School Fund Trust The remit of the School Food Trust is to transform school food and food skills, promote the education and health of children and young people and improve the quality of food in schools. The Trust leads and works with partners to ensure that the kitchen and dining room environment supports this transformational change. www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk
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BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspiring Design: International Arup Associates for Druk White Lotus School, India
The Druk White Lotus School is located in the Indus Valley, in Northern India. An environment of extremes lying at 3,500 metres above sea level, this is a high-altitude desert landscape where temperatures fall to minus thirty degrees in winter. The school currently caters for 488 pupils from Nursery through to 14 years old. The challenge was to create a centre of local culture, education and communication that integrates Ladakh’s unique cultural and architectural heritage with appropriate opportunities to be found in contemporary design. The project not only sought to minimise its own environmental impact, but also aimed to help the local community thrive. Solar Energy Buildings take maximum advantage of the high altitude and clear skies with active and passive solar energy collection. Classrooms face the morning sun to make the most of natural light and heat. Solar water heaters provide hot water for showers and clothes washing. A photo-voltaic system provides reliable electrical power to the whole site using an installation of 9 kWp of PV panels. The PV installation was 60% funded by Arup Associates, to carbon offset their 2007 footprint. Spacious learning spaces were created using timbers from Kashmir, granite blocks found on, or adjacent to, the site to form the outer walls, and traditional Ladakhi mud roofs (which provide good protection from the cold). Two boreholes and solar pumps supply all water requirements. Human waste is treated in ‘VIP’ (Ventilated Improved Pit) dry latrines, and has been taken out of the water cycle. Earthquakes Critical areas are designed to withstand earth tremors and allow occupants time to escape safely. The local community and the designers have shared their expertise to produce buildings that are deeply embedded in the Ladakhi way of life. It does this through a range of sustainability features that can be defined in both cultural and ecological terms. The resulting buildings are a fascinating reflection of an inter-cultural dialogue. The Judges felt this scheme showed a remarkable will on the part of Arup Associates to find design solutions which were relevant to the culture of the school and the community it served. They had brought their expertise to the project, and successfully harnessed that of others, to create a truly inspiring building.
BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspiring Design: International HOK for Hailybury Almaty School, Kazakhstan
Haileybury Almaty is an all-through school providing a British school in Kazakhstan’s largest city, preparing pupils for IGCSE and International Baccalaureate. The school was designed for an intake of 560 pupils aged 5-18, but it can grow to accommodate a maximum of 820 pupils. The pupils are largely Kazakh with a significant minority coming from the expatriate business and diplomatic communities in the city. The former Soviet education system was among the best in the world for teaching science and mathematics, but it did not naturally encourage questioning, debate or critical thinking. The vision was for a school that would allow young Kazakhs to remain in their home country and receive an education that will equip them to gain entrance to any university in the world. The design of the new school sets out to provide a wide variety of learning spaces. It offers classroom spaces for traditional teaching together with more open spaces for independent and project based learning. High levels of ICT provision have been integrated into the design. Above all it seeks to provide spaces that celebrate the community of the school, that allow for encounter and conversation in a calm, disciplined, caring environment. It was vital that the design concept was fully aligned with the transformational agenda of the school. At the design stage no head teacher, senior staff or pupils had been identified. Immediate workshops were established where the design and client teams met with local teachers, ministry officials, Kazakh architects and prospective parents to discuss expectations and to debate how to bring together two very different teaching traditions. At the same time the design team met with governors, teachers and non teaching staff at Haileybury in England to examine the evolving curriculum and the operational requirements of the building. The Judges felt that this design was a fantastic example of how an educational building could be used to challenge assumptions and raise educational aspirations. It represented a truly modern vision for teaching and learning in Kazakhstan. Highly Commended: • div.A Arkitekter AS for Ringstabekk Secondary School, Norway • Kunskapsskolan for The Observatory at Saltsjobaden, Sweden
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BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Best Client Team Penryn College, Cornwall
The challenge placed before the Client Team was to build a new 1050 place school on the existing Penryn College site, from a standing start in January 2006 to a new school opening date on 6th September 2008. To deliver Penryn College needed a very special client team. The project aimed, from the beginning, for a truly integrated project team. This allowed the authority, the architect, the contractor and the school community to be part of the design and construction process, with real opportunities to influence and adapt the design to best meet the needs of the school and its students. The designers were also able to honestly test new thinking – open plan toilets, new forms of teaching space – with the knowledge that the client team trusted and respected each other to deliver the best outcomes. There is real evidence that by engaging with the students during the development, changes in behaviour can be achieved. The atmosphere in the new school is calm but purposeful and the students respect and care for their environment. Several workshops were set up to give the designers direct contact. The team wanted to ensure that the pupils really could make a difference and two areas were selected for detailed consultation. The first looked at how the street could be occupied and fitted out, whilst the second focused on the external areas or “chill out” zones adjacent to the school. In both cases the end results were influenced considerably by the discussions. Throughout the construction period, access by the stakeholders was encouraged. At commencement a high level viewing platform was built overlooking the whole site, offering unrestricted access for all. A webcam was set up with a direct link from the front page of the school website. Some pupils were given work experience on the site itself. The Judges were hugely impressed by the ability of this project to involve a wide range of stakeholders in effective ways throughout every phase. The end result is a school that is clearly owned and cared for by all its users. Highly Commended: • Falmouth School, Cornwall • Golden Lane Campus, Islington
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BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Inspirational Educational Professional Dr Paul Kelley, Headteacher, Monkseaton High School
Paul Kelley is Headteacher of Monkseaton High School, a 750-student school for 13 to 18-year-olds which serves urban communities including Whitley Bay, Wallsend, and North Shields. It is the first Trust School in England, with partners Microsoft, North Tyneside Council, and Tribal Education, and the chair is Professor David Reynolds. Under Paul Kelley’s leadership, Monkseaton High School has a history of opening up learning both by taking the school into the community and by seeking partnership with other educational providers and organisations. Paul and his team have always been clear about the importance of information and communications technology (ICT) in achieving the objectives of the school. For example, the availability of the Microsoft Digital Literacy Curriculum (DLC) strengthens the knowledge base of all members of the community. A new school building will be open in September 2009, and it is an exciting next phase for the school, creating bespoke spaces in which to deliver its vision for teaching and learning. Paul Kelley has contributed to education as a nursery organiser, teacher, university tutor, Chief Education Officer, Project Coordinator for the European Commission, DfES, and others, examiner, media commentator, researcher, and author of books and educational software. He is best known for educational innovation, working with Microsoft, The Open University, Independent Television Commission, BBC and others to change the nature of learning in schools. As well as being an inspirational school leader, the Judges felt that Paul’s greatest quality has been to consistently challenge conventional thinking about how education is delivered. He is not afraid to start a debate about what is best for his students, or to try innovative approaches. The design for the new building at Monkseaton is testament to his vision and desire to deliver an exciting learning environment for the future. Most importantly, Paul puts his students at the heart of everything he does. For his imagination, leadership and ability to challenge convention, Dr Paul Kelley is a worthy winner of the Inspirational Educational Professional Award. Atkins Atkins is one of the world’s leading engineering and design consultancies, with the depth and breadth of technical expertise to respond to the complex challenges of the world’s major infrastructure projects. We are the official engineering design services provider for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With an unparalleled range of specialist consultants dedicated to education design, Atkins is successfully delivering projects for every facet of the education sector, from pre-school through to higher education, helping to transform the face of teaching and learning. Committed to delivering transformation in education, we work alongside schools, their communities, local authorities and educational specialists to deliver projects which respond uniquely to the specific demands and context of each place. www.atkinsglobal.com
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BCSE Industry Awards 2009
Judges Award Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council for their approach to Building Schools for the Future Knowsley are explicitly opposed to building new ‘old schools’ so have developed a vision for 21st century learning environments that is underpinned by the need for buildings to become more flexible – a ‘one space many uses philosophy’ – with spaces becoming more adaptable to support different functions and reflect the learning needs of children and young people and their families. Emphasis has been placed on the need to ‘democratise space’ , with behaviour and engagement in learning mitigated through better design, ‘defence’ of space and passive supervision. Knowsley developed a wide ranging consultation with educationalists, technical advisers, schools, governing bodies, and headteachers in their Design Blueprint and Output Specification Development. The authority also involved a range of stakeholders in the evaluation of its bidders during the ‘Invitation to Negotiate’ period. Knowsley trained 12 specific interest focus groups, including headteachers, teachers, governors, parents, Youth Parliament, secondary pupils as well as technical stakeholders in the Design Quality Indicator (DQI) tool which was used to assess each of the bidder submissions. This extended the design period to 17 weeks to improve design quality during which each of the consortia’s architects met 5 times with each focus group. In total, the architects held 60 meetings with Knowsley’s stakeholder groups. To complete the process the focus groups were asked to assess the final design submissions through the DQI tool. This accounted for 15% of the overall assessment criteria for each of the bid submissions. The Reviewable Design Data process involved reviewing fixtures, fittings and furniture, individual branding for each Centre for Learning and customising specialist areas. There was a series of fortnightly meetings over a 4 month period with the leadership and management team of each Centre for Learning, members of the Governing body as well as curriculum leads. A series of art-based projects have also been developed with pupils and community members to develop art and sculptures which will be placed in the new building, including a glass etching and a chandelier. Knowsley has faced many challenges in designing learning environments which meet the demands of 21st century personalised learning and integrated children’s services. They have sought to innovate in the design, delivery and operation of the Centres for Learning by: removing the school hall and creating an atrium; increasing flexibility by creating spaces which are multifunctional and adaptable for future uses; configuring spaces differently from the traditional school concept for example homebases; and reducing wasted circulation space and channelling this area into useable learning space. Sustainability is also a key feature of their new buildings with Ground Source Heat Pumps providing 20% of the total energy load and all the heating provision. Heat Recovery is integrated into the atrium space. Heat input to the homebase areas and other teaching and learning spaces naturally circulates through the atrium and is recovered and recycled at the top of the atrium. In making this award the Judges were delighted to honour Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council for their visionary approach to involving a wide range of stakeholders, innovating in the design process, and providing a consistent set of learning spaces tailored to a strong vision for 21st Century learning.
Looking Ahead
As BCSE grows from strength to strength with new members joining daily, we look forward to many opportunities in the coming year to share best practice with our members and all those passionate about school design. Some more highlights to look out for in of 2009 include:
World Learning Environments Conference 11 - 12 November, Knowsley The unique two day event will showcase award winning and best practice in school design, share the experience of governments engaged in similar system wide transformation of schools and set the agenda for the year ahead. Day one will consist of study tours to learning environments across the North West of England, followed by a gala dinner. Day two, hosted in the largest of Knowsley’s brand new Centres for Learning, will feature a line-up of global thought leaders and a highly interactive conference with seminars covering the critical issues in this exciting arena.
Great Schools Inquiry Following extensive consultation, the report on the role that schools and learning environments play in improving the life chances of children and young people and tackling social inequality will be published in early 2010.
Call for entries for BCSE Industry Awards Programme 2010 Details of how to enter the awards programme will be available in November 2009 on our website at www.bcse.uk.net To learn more about how to get involved with BCSE’s work or for information about events, membership or sponsorship, visit www.bcse.uk.net or contact Beth Gladstone, Head of Events at beth@bcse.uk.net
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