Restoring and Refurbishing Broadmeadow School to Academy Trust Levels

Project

Initially invited by the Academy Trust to undertake a Planned Maintenance Survey, permitted intrusive inspections necessitated the need for a Condition Survey which identified a number of issues including rotten timber frame, damaged timber cladding, flat roof issues, poor lighting and issues with fire door access points.

After the report had been sent to the client there was a direct enquiry from the DfE about costs for remedying what were, effectively, dilapidations inherited from the local authority who had previously run the infant & nursery school.

BTG Eddisons was invited to specify and conduct a schedule of works and tender for the management of the project for the Academy Trust in liaison with its senior management team and oversight from the DfE. Costs were negotiated in acknowledging the level to which central departmental public funds were available.

With the works project contract, which included drawings, awarded to Eddisons, competitive tendering saw locally based firm Harper Interiors appointed as the contractor for the construction and built elements and new interior fitout, reporting to BTG Eddisons as the overall project manager and QS.

Ahead of starting on site, the scope of BTG Eddisons’ work included CDM 2015 and Building Safety Act advice as well as local building control pre-approvals.

Approach

While the construction works on site on the main timber-framed building and portable cabin commenced during the school summer holiday period of 2025, the extent of the work was always going to see the project carry through to the Autumn term, with a scheduled finish just in time for the end of the year.

The focus was on the nursery school first to strip out and complete its refurbishment during the 6 weeks of holiday ready for the new intake and then the infant school could decant into the nursery space to allow the infant block to be refurbished once term had started.

The view was to upgrade the portable cabin – which was used for storage and, initially, scheduled for demolition as part of the project – in order for it to be used as a temporary teaching space, in which to decant the classes as the progress of the works necessitated.

However, after the upgrade of the portable cabin for this temporary use, the feeling among the client’s teaching staff was that it was, in the long term, such a high-quality space that it would be retained and provide much-needed two additional teaching areas even after the project had completed.

Features of the refurbishment include external recladding, new flat roofing, new ceilings, lighting and emergency lighting, fire doors and fire alarm systems work, electrical safety work, heating, electrical safety work, internal finishes and complete refurbishment of the toilets.

Result

With handover to the client in January 2026 post-snagging, this project, which involved co-ordination and co-operation between so many parties, has transformed the infant and nursery school building to provide a fresh, welcoming and vibrant teaching & learning environment to be enjoyed by the staff and the children.

“As a Trust we worked closely with BTG Eddisons and, in particular, Nick Galloway to redesign and renew the fabric of Broadmeadow Infant School building.

From start to finish Nick handled the project superbly and, as a result of his meticulous approach, the project was a complete success and completed ahead of time. I, personally, cannot rate Nick highly enough – he is superb.”

Steve Taylor, CEO, Robin Hood Multi Academy Trust