Over the last 12 months Bildeston Primary School has been transformed into a bright modern looking school for Primary School students.

The school has had its roof renewed which included stripping back the existing roof, new cut to falls insulation and new roof lights. The removal of a tank room in part also improved the external look of the school. The roof is now covered by an extensive warranty which will give the school peace of mind over the coming years. These works were undertaken by Cambridge Flat Roofing and designed by Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd.

Suffolk-based facilities management group Vertas acted as property advisors, steering the school through the design stages, helping resolve concerns around traffic in and around school, liaising with the school around Covid-19 restrictions and working with Concertus on funding and budget management. The scheme explored the feasibility of utilising additional funding sources through the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund which is available to schools.

With time being precious everything was undertaken while the school was open and operational. The site team kept in daily contact with school staff to advise of work areas etc and this worked well with no major difficulties.

On completion of the roof and a short break it was time to start the external cladding and new windows. Starting in early June SEH French and Concertus resumed works after ensuring all suppliers were able to provide their services during the Covid 19 pandemic, especially windows as without these we were unable to start.

The works consisted of removal of existing cladding and replacing with new HardiePlank (Fibre Cement Board) giving a cedar effect finish, along with insulation to the existing timber frame structure and fire breaks as requested by Building Control. Windows and all external doors were removed, including the curtain walling to the hall, and were replaced with new double-glazed units, improved access doors and locking systems.

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Lynne Golding, Head Teacher at the school said “It was after an energy review by Concertus in Spring 2017, that we were told that 80-85% of our energy was seeping out of the building through the roof, walls and windows. It was then that we became aware of just how much of an issue energy loss was.

In 2018, when the school celebrated its 50th birthday, we were offered the possibility of becoming a pilot scheme to show how our 1950’s built building could be refurbished to enhance its efficiency and appeal. This became a project in two halves. Initially we were to have the roof renovated and this project proved to have less impact day to day on school life, since by its very nature it took place mostly on top of the building. The most recent works did have more impact on the daily life of the school, but with regular meetings and good communication, plus a dedicated team of builders determined to make the new Covid regulations work, difficulties were overcome through working together positively. All in all the project work took place over eighteen months.

Our building now has solar resistant glass, double glazing, proper insulation and carefully considered fire breaks within the new smart outside cladding. It is as if our school has a beautiful new overcoat, and now we feel the outside of the building matches the inside, which has always been welcoming with wonderful displays. Parents, staff and governors are delighted that Suffolk County Council have seen fit to invest in us as a successful and sustainable school, which will take us into the future”.

In essence, the school went from a tired timber cladded school to a wonderfully colourful modern school which ultimately makes it look like a brand-new school. All the external works were completed, and the school was handed back over in September 2020.

We are pleased to announce that we have successfully secured a place on the Procure Partnerships Framework. This framework runs for a 4-year term and is designed to have 10 suppliers for each discipline Lot in each region, with only 8 suppliers per region in the Principal Designer Lot.

We opted to bid for 8 of the 11 discipline Lots in 7 of the different geographical regions, to support both our current business delivery from Ipswich and also to deliver services from Derbyshire and the Midlands.

Following the completion of our bid submission, we were contacted by Procure Partnerships Framework so that they could understand more about Concertus and the services we offer. The conversation, led by their Key Account Manager for both the East of England and East Midlands Regions John Boyce and our Business Development Director Gary Knight, was a very positive discussion around our bid and the structure of our business.

In July we received notification of our successful inclusion on the following Lots and regions;

  • Project Management in the East of England (1 region)

  • Quantity Surveying in the East of England (1 region)

  • Architectural Design in the East of England and South East (2 regions)

  • Landscape Architecture in Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, London and South East (6 regions)

  • Structural Engineering in North West, Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, London and South East (7 regions)

  • MEP Design in Yorkshire, East Midlands and East of England (3 regions)

  • Building Surveying in Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, London and South East (6 regions)

  • Principal Designer in Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands and East of England (4 regions)

At Concertus we pride ourselves on being easy to do business with; removing complexity. We are excited to have earned this opportunity to expand our multi-disciplinary service offering to a wider geographical reach, as this will present a further opportunity to develop new business and clients.

Working across a number of specialisms, we provide a range of services to clients in both the public and private sectors. Our strength is based on being considerate and client-focused; exploring what benefits can be delivered over and above the original requirements of a project, whilst remaining effective and efficient.

Pupils and headteachers have taken part in a ground-breaking event to celebrate the start of construction at Thurston CEVC (Church of England Voluntary Controlled) Primary Academy. Suffolk County Council is relocating the existing school to a larger site to accommodate the expansion of the school, increasing the number of permanent placements from 210 pupils to 420 pupils. There will also be a new standalone 30 place Pre School, operated by Thurston Pre School in addition to their existing facility in the village.

Barnes Construction has been awarded the contract to build the scheme and will be working alongside Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd, who will be providing multidisciplinary services including Project Management on behalf of the client, Suffolk County Council.

Mark Bailey, Director at Barnes Construction said “We are thrilled, once again, to be working with Suffolk County Council and Concertus on another new school to meet the needs of the local communities in mid-Suffolk. We are looking forward to using the work we are doing on site as an opportunity to involve and educate young people about how exciting construction can be.”

This expansion was driven by the anticipated housing developments in the area and will guarantee the continuity of school provision within the village as well as reduce further congestion in the area. The new school will be located on Norton Road, adjacent to the Linden Homes development and opposite the Hopkins housing development.

Kathy Lambert and John Bayes, Co-Headteachers at Thurston CEVC Primary Academy said “We are delighted that the new school project has reached this milestone. It has been extremely exciting to work closely with the infrastructure team, Suffolk County Council and Concertus Design and Property Consultants, who have been fantastic at guiding us step by step in order to reach this point on the Thurston C of E Primary Academy relocation and expansion. We look forward to working with Barnes as they start to build our new school. We have a huge amount of support from staff, parents, pupils and governors and are looking forward to moving into our new school.”

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The existing 210 place Primary school is on a constrained site which dictates that it is not suitable for expansion. This resulted in a strategic decision with the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich to relocate and expand the existing school to provide the necessary additional school places.

Ian Barber, Project Manager at Concertus said “The new Thurston Primary School will provide a modern learning environment for local children and the larger school site will help deal with the expansion in the area. The school has been designed with the forest school identity at heart, featuring tree saplings grown by the children which will be planted on site and a large number of mature trees retained on the school site to maintain the feeling of a forest school.”

This relocation welcomes the opportunity to be able to accommodate future expansion.

A representative from Thurston Parish Council said “Thurston Parish Council welcomes the news that work is underway on the construction of the new Thurston Primary Academy. Thurston is undergoing an unprecedented level of residential development with a considerable number of these homes already under construction. It is essential that all residents, new and existing, have access to the local services that they need to live successful, safe and healthy lives in the community. We are pleased that the new Thurston Primary Academy will be a high-quality addition to the range of services available in Thurston and we hope that it will be of benefit to the whole community.”

Cllr. Mary Evans, Cabinet Member for Education said “The school is an exciting development that will serve the existing and new community of over 800 houses within the area and play a key role in developing the community. The school will initially accommodate 420 students, plus a 30-place pre-school. There will also be room for future expansion to a total of 630 students at the school and 60 places in the pre-school if demand requires. Its location will allow many students and parents to walk to and from the school. It represents one of a series of new primary schools being planned in Suffolk by 2029, with other areas including Chilton Leys, Lakenheath, Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill and the Ipswich Garden Suburb.”

The project is expected to complete and hand over by Summer 2021 in preparation for the new academic year.

From afar, we celebrate the progress of the expansion at Barrow CEVC (Church of England Voluntary Controlled) Primary School today. Suffolk County Council will create two additional class bases that provide accommodation for a higher age range while increasing the capacity of the school from 150 pupils to 210.

Local contractor Brooks and Wood Ltd have been working alongside Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd to overcome the many obstacles they have been faced with over the last few months.

Stuart Boardley, Director at Brooks and Wood said: “It has without a doubt been an extremely challenging time for all businesses, with ours no exception to this. There is a real necessity for essential construction projects like this one to continue, with safety being the number one priority throughout. It is a great achievement for the scheme to reach the topping out stage, particularly given the challenges presented to us all during this pandemic. This has been made possible by the flexible and collaborative ethos shown by the teams at Concertus and Suffolk County Council but most of all the Headteacher, Helen and her staff at the school. The project will provide the school with a fantastic new learning space and further enhance our reputation as a leading provider of educational facilities within Suffolk. We now look forward to timely and safe completion.”

This project is driven by the school’s change of age range to include Years 5 and 6 and the need to provide space for the additional year groups.

Helen Ashe, Headteacher at Barrow CEVC Primary School said: “We were absolutely delighted to see the Brooks and Wood team return to site in May, following a short absence due to lockdown. The determined efforts of both the contractors and Local Authority have ensured that the project has continued to move forward, and we have quickly seen our super new building taking shape over recent weeks. As the building was originally due to be complete at the end of June, there was still sufficient flexibility in the programme to enable completion to be achieved before the start of the Autumn Term. This means that our plans remain fully on track for us to welcome Year 5 pupils to the school for the first time in September: reassuring and exciting news for our whole school community! We are now all really looking forward to Barrow children being taught in our wonderful new classroom block for the next academic year. Our grateful thanks go to everyone involved in the project during this difficult time; the professionalism and resilience from all concerned has been second to none.”

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Barrow CEVC Primary was a three-tier first school for children aged 4–9 years. The school withdrew from Bury St Edmunds All-Through Trust in 2018 and the governing body subsequently agreed that the school should become a two-tier primary school offering places to children up to age 11.

Bradley Dedman, Architectural Assistant at Concertus said: “The design complements the listed schoolhouse building on site, whilst introducing contemporary construction in the form of a butterfly roof to create its own identity. Placing tall openable windows in each classroom helps introduce high volumes of natural ventilation and daylight, designed to enhance the learning environment for pupils at the school.”

The project, designed by Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd, is expected to reach completion and be handed over by Autumn 2020.

Over five years of construction work has culminated with the completion of the final phase at Sybil Andrews Academy in Bury St Edmunds.

Located north of the town on the Moreton Hall estate, the academy has been built over a number of stages, with the final stage starting early in 2019 to construct an additional MUGA area and two new teaching blocks adjacent to the main Heart building.

What is significant is that the same project team that originally started the project in 2015 has continued throughout all phases of the build; working collaboratively to bring construction finally to a close, ready for the new school year this September.

Barnes Construction has been the main contractor for the scheme building not only Sybil Andrews, which is managed by the Unity Schools Partnership, but also the adjacent Skyliner Sports Centre run by Abbeycroft Leisure.

Concertus Design & Property Consultants project managed the build on behalf of the client, Suffolk County Council, and also provided a number of multi-disciplinary design services, which included architecture, interior and landscape, as well as structural engineering and building services.

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The result is a state-of-the-art education facility with a capacity to accommodate 1,200 students, and a sports centre, which serves the local community in Bury St Edmunds. Mark Hart, Joint MD for Barnes Construction said: “This project has shown true collaboration with everyone involved working together as one team to achieve a successful outcome for Suffolk County Council and the Unity Schools Partnership. It’s great to see this multi-million-pound scheme finally completed.”

Andrew Rowe, MD of Concertus added: “We are delighted to be celebrating this milestone at Sybil Andrews Academy, the team’s collaborative working goes hand in hand with the project’s success to date. A big thank you to everyone for their hard work.”

Cllr. Mary Evans, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education & Skills said; “We are very pleased that this important project has been completed so successfully. As well as being a remarkable building in itself, Bury St Edmunds now has the secondary school capacity it needs to meet current and future demand for school places.”

Finally, Cllr. Trevor Beckwith said: “I think the large Moreton Hall community, particularly those with older children or those about to leave primary school, have welcomed the opportunity for students to continue their education on the estate. Community representatives liaised successfully with Concertus during the initial consultation to ensure any concerns were ironed out and the construction has been trouble-free. The joint use of the Skyliner Sports Centre is also an important addition for everyone.”

Our Paxman Academy project was recently shortlisted for the prestigious RICS Social Impact Awards, in the category of Education. We were extremely proud and pleased to be shortlisted from over 460 outstanding projects.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, RICS decided to move the RICS Social Impact Award ceremonies to a digital platform this year. It was a shame we were unable to attend the awards ceremony for the East of England but we enjoyed watching the virtual ceremony via the RICS YouTube channel. Emma Jesson, ITV Weather Presenter, and Phil Spencer, Television Presenter and Journalist who is best known as the co-presenter of Location, Location, Location, hosted the event which showcased this year’s shortlisted projects. We would like to congratulate all of the winners and runners-up.

David Brooks Wilson, Chair of the award judging panel said: “This year’s shortlisted projects show the power of built environment professionals to make a positive impact on society and our communities.”

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Alderman Blaxhill High School was originally built in the 1950s and had reached the end of its useful life. As a result, the poor state of the building was affecting overall pupil performance. We worked with Barnes Construction to design and build a brand-new 900 place secondary school, with distinct areas for sports, admin and teaching. Paxman Academy has provided the community with a state-of-the-art facility, which is inclusive and open for use by the wider community. Our client, Essex County Council, have adopted Paxman Academy as an exemplar school because of the economic design and functionality of the building.

The RICS Social Impact Awards judges selected the very best projects from across the region. We are so proud of the project team who worked hard to make Paxman Academy a success story.

We are so pleased that our Paxman Academy project has been commended in CIAT’s Award for Excellence in Architectural Technology category in the 2020 AT Awards.

It was a pleasure to work with Barnes Construction to deliver this fantastic project for Essex County Council. Being recognised in the CIAT Awards is a huge achievement and we’re incredibly proud of the entire project team.

Judges’ comments: “The Paxman Academy makes great optimisation of an existing school to enhance occupant comfort in Colchester as a functional new six form and 900 place secondary school. Architectural Technology was demonstrated through a fine level of details and use of BIM during the design phase to run clash detection simulations at the design stage. This enabled a reduction in clash and queries onsite. Sustainable design principles integrated well with the surroundings. Materials selected will perform well and make it robust for future use.”

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Work on a multi-million pound new public services hub in Mildenhall, combining education, health and leisure facilities on one site – has celebrated a significant phase in its construction.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and MP for West Suffolk, Matt Hancock joined project partners including staff and students from Mildenhall College Academy, and R G Carter who are carrying out the construction, for a topping out with a tree planting ceremony marking the next phase of the project.

Once complete, Mildenhall Hub is set to be a national exemplar bringing together a new school, leisure facilities, a health centre, library, advice functions and a children’s centre, and will also house desk space for Suffolk Police, West Suffolk Council, Suffolk County Council and the NHS, including Public Health England.

MP Matt Hancock said: “This is a unique and ambitious project, designed to benefit local residents now and into the future by delivering modern facilities shaped to their needs. Not only that, it represents a new and better way of integrated working, a blueprint for others to follow and one that I am proud to say is happening here in West Suffolk. I am delighted to see the advances that have been made and to celebrate with the various partner organisations, this next stage of the Hub’s construction.”

Leader of West Suffolk Council, Cllr John Griffiths said: “The Mildenhall Hub is a trailblazing project. It is bold, exciting and visionary – and it has residents at its heart. It is about how we continue to deliver the high-quality day to day services that they deserve and expect. It is also about how we further our work with public sector partners and how we invest in the future of facilities and services in the area all to the benefit of our local communities. I’m looking forward to seeing the vision become reality when Mildenhall Hub opens its doors by early next year.”

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Susan Byles, Regional Education Director for Academy Transformation Trust said: “It is brilliant to see the work on the Mildenhall Hub progressing and we are looking forward to taking possession before Christmas, enabling us to fit out the school and induct students ready for a start on site in January.”

R G Carter was awarded the £39m contract for construction of the Mildenhall Hub and started work on site last year.

James Wilson, Director at R G Carter said: “After months of building, the topping-out ceremony allows us to welcome staff and key stakeholders to view the building and the various spaces created and to thank everyone involved. It has been a fantastic experience for R G Carter to work on such a forward-thinking project that will make a real difference to the local community.”

The next steps on site include the installation of two swimming pools, finalising roofing works and internal work and fittings, ready for a phased opening by early 2021.

The Mildenhall Hub website is currently being updated with information for local residents and other users of the hub.

Students and staff at a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) secondary school in Ipswich are celebrating the latest milestone in works to transform their school’s facilities. The major redevelopment programme for The Bridge School will comprise a brand new state-of-the-art secondary school building with six classrooms.

The building will also house a hydrotherapy pool and two sensory needs rooms, as well as music, food tech and art teaching rooms. The new secondary school will be on the same site as The Bridge’s primary school, which was built in 2014, with the aim to provide the students with a smooth transition between primary and secondary education.

Steve Holt, framework manager at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone in the development of The Bridge School, which will help to bolster SEND provision in the area, and provide a first-class education to school users. Morgan Sindall Construction has a long-standing history of producing high quality SEND facilities, and we are looking forward to continuing our close relationship with Concertus and Suffolk County Council to deliver this for The Bridge.”

Hazel Simmons, headteacher at The Bridge School, said: “This fantastic new school building is a desperately needed facility for the Ipswich community. I am thrilled with the quality of the building and would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this project, including the project teams, Suffolk County Council and the charities for their substantial donations that will allow us to kit some of the specialist rooms out.”

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The scheme is being delivered in partnership with Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd.

Charles Coulson, Associate at Concertus, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Morgan Sindall Construction and Suffolk County Council to help deliver this great project for Unity Schools Partnership and the local community. Although the construction hasn’t completed just yet, we are confident that the new school building will be a great benefit to the children studying at The Bridge and look forward to being able to hand it over for them to enjoy.”

The new building is expected to be ready for hand over to the school in July, with the demolition of the existing accommodation and landscape works taking place in Spring/Summer 2021.

Construction works start today on the expansion of Bramford CEVC (Church of England Voluntary Controlled) Primary School. This is due to the school being at full capacity. Suffolk County Council’s aim is to increase the number of permanent placements from 210 pupils to 315 pupils.

The project was awarded to local contractor Brooks and Wood Ltd and was driven by the anticipated housing developments in the area. The development will support the increase of population within the school’s catchment area and the expansion of the school will allow for an upsurge in admissions, resulting in a greater number of pupils receiving their chosen school preference; Bramford CEVC Primary School.

Councillor John Field, who attended the celebration at the school said: “I am really pleased to see the start of this project on site. It is great to recognise the local growing community and the expansion of Bramford Primary School is a welcome addition to Bramford Village.”

Emma Burgess, Executive Headteacher at Bramford Primary School, said: “This is a very exciting time for our school, and we are very much looking forward to seeing our school community grow. The new building, along with the improvements to the existing space inside our Key Stage One block, will further enhance and improve our learning environment for all our pupils.”

Major extension work was carried out at the school in 2010 which provided the Primary school with a new dining hall and kitchen facility. In addition to the new standalone block, this project will increase parking facilities, as well provide internal remodelling of the existing Early Years building.

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With a construction value of £1.5m, David Garrard, Associate at Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd said: “The four-classroom standalone block will provide pupils with energy-efficient classrooms with excellent natural light and ventilation. This will be a fantastic educational facility which will enhance the existing school accommodation.”

Stuart Boardley, Director at Brooks and Wood Ltd, said “We are looking forward to delivering another successful project working alongside Concertus, Suffolk County Council and of course Emma Burgess and her team at Bramford Primary School. The expansion will provide further fantastic facilities for the next generation of young people to excel and we, as a local business, are proud to be able to support that growth and development.”

The project, designed by Concertus Design and Property Consultants Ltd, is expected to complete and hand over by Summer 2020 in preparation for the new academic year.