Project 360: Offmore Primary School

CLIENT
Kate Beer, Headteacher, Offmore Primary School, Kidderminster

All of the children, parents, staff and governors of Offmore Primary School are thoroughly delighted with our new school. The facilities are amazing and provide an excellent learning base full of opportunities for all pupils.

Throughout the construction, Speller Metcalfe supported the school’s curriculum through quizzes, competitions and regular site visits; pupils designed safety posters which were used on site during construction and designed tiles for washroom/changing areas.  The winning 30 designs (pupils and staff) have since been made into real tiles and these can now be seen throughout the school.

The ‘New Build Project ‘group held regular meetings with site manager Dave Newman, receiving updates on the construction and having the numerous questions our pupils asked, answered. This showed a real sense of care by the Speller Metcalfe team, and is what has encouraged a great relationship between ourselves as they went that extra mile to ensure we were not only happy with developments, but fully integrated into them, with pupils and staff taking full advantage of actively learning about the many sustainable technologies within the site.
 

CONTRACTOR
Steve Harker, Contracts Manager, Speller Metcalfe

Offmore Primary School and nursery is one of several major building projects in the Wyre Forest area. In 2006, a feasibility study recommended that a new school building should be provided to accommodate the growing school for up to 362 pupils alongside a 40 place nursery.

In the form of a modern two storey block with a faceted plan, the school has two single storey wings projecting outwards, with the single storey elements housing the school hall, reception and nursery classes, while the two storeys incorporate classrooms, offices and specialist teaching areas. The school has very much been built with a sustainable future in mind, with the ability to weather the warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers that are predicted over the years to come, and received notable accreditation of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ at design stage.

As well as external biodiverse areas for learning opportunities, the school incorporates biomass boilers, sedum roof technology, sustainable urban drainage systems and natural daylighting and ventilation throughout. ₂ ₂Pupils are very much at the heart of the project and will continue to be fully involved with these aspects of the school to ensure a sustainable legacy.

ARCHITECT
Andrew Peasgood, Worcester County Council

I was the original design architect at WCC for the new Offmore School project; when in 2010 I became manager of the West Midlands Contractor Framework I saw ‘my’ project become one of the first to be delivered using the new Framework arrangements.

It’s always hard handing over a project, but I was delighted to see how well the Speller Metcalfe team worked alongside my architect colleagues to develop the scheme to a finished building. Together they not just took on board the design principles, but positively enhanced them. 

I was especially pleased how the environmental design ethos was carried through into reality, with the design stage aspirations strictly implemented during construction to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.

And from a Framework perspective, I was able record an on time, on budget project, and a very satisfied Headteacher.