Description

The site had a number of challenges, including the significant slope from the east (Wordsworth Avenue) end of the site up to Halifax Road at the western end. An established public right of way connecting these two roads ran directly through the school playgrounds and across the playing fields. This was diverted before the main building work was started to allow the construction of a secure perimeter fence.

The local authority carried out a curriculum analysis, based on the planned number on roll and curriculum, and agreed it with the school. From this, a rationalised accommodation schedule was agreed in accordance with the DfES area guidelines contained in Building Bulletin 82. This information formed the basis of an extended period of discussion between the architects, school representatives and the local authority to determine the vision for the school. A prime feature of this was the desire to establish a new central focus along with a rejuvenated public face, as well as the need to create properly suited teaching departments with appropriate subject adjacencies.

It also emerged from this process that the existing classroom blocks would be best used as general teaching rooms, with their relatively low servicing requirements. The existing larger spaces, such as laboratories and workshops, proved ideal for conversion into ICT and food technology rooms. The public face of the existing buildings was enhanced by the conversion of the main entrance into a fully glazed library, facing towards, and accessible to, the community. Above this, the main dining hall and kitchen were refurbished to up-to-date standards, in a way that would allow for possible community use in conjunction with the adjacent main hall.

The existing single-storey science block at the front of the school was retained for conversion into a music and drama facility because of its isolation and structural soundness. The drainage arrangements for this block, like the rest of the existing teaching wings, were in the centre of the building.

These existing buildings were then linked with a new, highly serviced science art and technology block, which also contains the new main entrance and administrative areas. This building was designed around a large central atrium space which forms the new heart of the school. The atrium contains a public art work in the form of a composite mural with sections provided by each of the feeder primary schools: this has been a great success with the school and community. The cruciform plan form also maximises natural light and provides more varied views from each of the classrooms than a traditional linear block.

A new sports hall, with associated changing accommodation, was incorporated as a separate but linked wing with direct access to the playing fields. A dedicated staff entrance was introduced in this area, along with the new school car park and vehicular entrance, separated from the primary pedestrian circulation routes. The main pupil entrance was established at the front of the courtyard, where it could be supervised from the new reception area and controlled by a secure entry system.

The second phase was planned using the revised DfES area guidelines, contained in their Building Bulletin 98. This allowed significantly more floor area, and the budget allowed a rather more ambitious design than previously envisaged. The most significant change was to relocate the reception area and staff offices into a new single storey wing facing Wordsworth Avenue. Apart from the need for more extensive offices, it had been found that the reception area set back from the school gates made supervision difficult. The new location presents a more welcoming front door to the street, and also extends the covered circulation route further around the courtyard.

It was also decided to relocate the original main hall from the first floor, and bring it down to the ground floor adjacent to the entrance. The new arrangement therefore has much better accessibility, particularly for community use, and provides more flexibility. The library created in Phase 1 has been converted into a business centre (to support the school’s business and enterprise specialism) and the new library is located in the old school hall. The reception created in Phase 1 has been converted to additional small teaching spaces, and an additional sports hall has been added providing two further badminton courts.

Some of the additional area has been used to create additional indoor social spaces, and these have been located where the half level changes between blocks and where the L-shaped block turns the corner. This has had the benefit of eliminating some of the congestion points where anti-social behaviour and bullying were most likely to occur. These spaces incorporate toilet areas, and in one case provide informal eating areas separate from the dining hall. The toilets are all individual cubicles accessed directly from the corridor. There are wash basins inside the cubicles, avoiding the need for a communal washing area, which had previously been a bullying problem.

The buildings have been made fully accessible by a lift serving the half levels where the classroom block meets the main block, in addition to the lift in the new-build science and technology block. Existing corridors have been upgraded and lockers added where they are wide enough. The exterior of the blocks has been upgraded with new windows, concrete repairs and reroofing.