Hampshire County Council

Education Buildings Advisory Group

1 October 2002

Executive Member, Policy & Resources Item

16 October 2002

Calthorpe Park Secondary School, Fleet

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

1

Summary

1.1

Calthorpe Park Secondary School is an 11 - 16 comprehensive school located to the west of Fleet in the north of the County. The school is successful and the number of pupils attending the school has steadily risen since 2000.

1.2

In line with a future predicted rise in pupil numbers attending the school an allocation of £1,034,000, excluding fees, has been made in the Education Committee's 2002/03 Capital Programme to provide additional basic need places for the September 2003 term.

1.3

The Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services has progressed the design of the additional basic need accommodation and the purpose of this report is to outline the proposals and seek approval to the attached design project appraisal.

2.

Scope of the Works

2.1

It is proposed to construct a single storey, double height space drama block to the north east of this school site. The new drama suite will provide two drama studios, drama office, two drama stores, entrance lobby, male, female and accessible WC and cleaners store. The eastern end of the building will have two storeys comprising a gallery, store, air handling plant and store.

2.2

The two drama studios will be divided by a sliding acoustic wall which can be retracted to allow these spaces to operate together and facilitate performances with an audience. Sliding glazed screens will be included to allow access onto a raised timber deck along the northern elevation of the building.

2.3

Two courtyard areas will be created to the south and west of the new drama building and two lines of trees will be planted. The first will be planted to the north of the drama building and will provide screening from the adjacent car park. The second line of trees to the south will provide screening to an existing two storey teaching block.

2.4

Work will be undertaken to the existing dining area and kitchen to provide much improved dining facilities. Internal walls to two classrooms and a store which adjoin the dining area will be removed and this whole area will become the new dining room for the school. A new servery and counter with roller shutters will be installed in the dining room along with an area for vending machines and lockers. This whole space will be redecorated and new ceilings, lighting and floors will be provided.

2.5

Further internal work will be undertaken to the kitchen which will include the reconfiguration of the existing stores to provide a new work room, a staff WC and stores. The kitchen equipment will be removed by the school prior to the internal works being undertaken and upon completion of the work it will be the responsibility of the school to re-install the kitchen equipment.

3.

Procurement

3.1

It is proposed to negotiate this contract with TSL Ltd. This contractor has recently commenced work on the new Elvetham Heath Primary School scheme which is geographically very close to Calthorpe Park Secondary School. The contractor proposed has the capacity and a demonstratable good track record of delivering similar schemes. This project would benefit from early contractor involvement and economies of scale and simplification of management arrangements could be generated by combining the procurement of both projects.

4.

Funding and Timing

4.1

An allocation of £1,034,000, excluding fees, has been included in the Education Committee's 2002/03 Capital Programme to provide the new drama suite and improved dining facility. The current cost estimate for these works is in excess of the available funding by some £26,000, excluding fees. The Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services will tender the scheme in its entirety and review the costs upon receipt of tenders.

4.2

It is anticipated that work will commence on site during January 2003 and be completed during September 2003. Due to the nature of the work to the dining area and the need for the school to provide continuous dining facilities for their pupils, this element of the contract can only be undertaken whilst the building is not in use. It is therefore proposed to undertake the dining alterations during the 2003 summer holiday period ready for the new September 2003 term.

Conclusion

The proposed new teaching accommodation will provide the required amount of additional Basic Need pupil places to address the forecast rise in pupil numbers attending the school in September 2003. Approval is accordingly sought to the attached building design project appraisal.