Hampshire County Council

Education Buildings Advisory Group

3 January 2003

Executive Member, Education

23 January 2003 Item

Balksbury Infant School, Andover

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

1

Summary

1.1

Balksbury Infant School shares its site with Balksbury Junior School and is located in a residential area in the west of Andover. The infant school was constructed in 1975 and is of a SCOLA design. In 1999 the school was extended by two classrooms under the Key Stage 1 Initiative.

1.2

Following a bid to the DfES under Basic Need, an allocation has been made in the Education Committee's 2002/03 capital programme for a scheme to provide an additional classroom at this school. Further funding has been added by the school for internal alterations to the existing accommodation along with a contribution from the Education Committee's 2002/03 Staff Workplaces budget towards the provision of a new staff room and the 2002/03 Schools Access Initiative (SAI) budget towards the provision of an Accessible WC.

1.3

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

2.

Scope of the Works

2.1

A single storey extension will adjoin the two classroom extension completed in 1999. The extension will provide one classroom with a wet area, staff room, two stores, Accessible WC and circulation / cloaks area. The new classroom will connect to the western elevation of the recent extension, with the remaining accommodation placed between the new classroom and existing hall.

2.2

The classroom has been designed to follow the form of the recent two classroom extension and materials of facing brickwork and glazed screens will be used. Clerestory glazing will be provided to the circulation / cloaks area, between the classroom and the hall, to allow natural light to this area.

2.3

Internal alterations to the existing accommodation will comprise the reorganisation of the existing administration suite adjacent to the main entrance to the building. The rationalisation of the existing accommodation will provide two administration offices either side of the main entrance, an enlarged Head teacher's office and a Medical Inspection/Deputy Head teacher's office. The security of the main entrance will be improved by the fitting of an automated electromagnetic door entry system with the door release controls situated in the administration office.

2.4

Landscaping associated with this scheme will comprise paving to the perimeter of the new classroom and adjacent to the new staff room and corridor / cloak area. An external seating area, to match those provided with the recent two classroom extension, will be created to the southern elevation of the new classroom. The roof will overhang the building to provide a sun shaded area and to provide shade to the southern elevation of the new classroom.

3.

Procurement

3.1

Mansells Plc successfully undertook all of the work in the Key Stage 1 Initiative and it is intended that this contract also be negotiated with Mansells Plc. This particular contractor has a good working knowledge of the site as they completed contracts at both Balksbury Infant and Junior Schools in 1999. It is therefore intended to negotiate this contract with Mansells Plc to give economies of scale. This course of action was agreed at the 16 October 2002 meeting of the Executive Member - Policy and Resources.

4.

Funding and Timing

4.1

An allocation of £129,000, excluding fees, has been made in the Education Committee's 2002/03 Capital Programme to provide one additional classroom. Further funding of £79,000, excluding fees, will come from the school along with contributions from the Education Committee's 2002/03 Staff Workplaces budget of £27,000, excluding fees, and the 2002/03 Schools Access Initiative (SAI) budget of £10,000, excluding fees. The above funding provides a total of £245,000, excluding fees, for the proposals outlined in this design project appraisal.

4.2

It is anticipated that the work will commence on site during March 2003 and be completed during August 2003.

Conclusion

The proposed scheme will provide the required space to accommodate the projected number of pupils, along with enhanced staff room, storage and circulation facilities and an accessible WC for the school. Approval is accordingly sought to the attached building design project appraisal.