Wixams Academy, Bedford

The scope was adjusted from a 5FE to a 6FE school, requiring accommodation for an additional 90 pupils by September 2023. Although the full project was scheduled for completion by summer 2024, four additional classrooms were required by summer 2023 to support the immediate intake.

To meet this requirement, the design incorporated four permanent modular classrooms to be procured, purchased, and installed by summer 2023, with an additional two modular classrooms delivered by September 2023. The initial six-classroom block was later expanded to an eight-classroom block, aligning with the client's vision for a campus-style layout while addressing the school’s immediate and long-term needs.

We identified that piling works would coincide with the school’s exam period. By working collaboratively with the Trust, we rescheduled the programme to minimise disruption, reducing downtime from six weeks to just three and a half weeks.

The project also integrated a £250,000 grant from the England Cricket Board to enhance the school’s sports facilities. Upgraded lighting, flooring, netting, and bowling machines were added, meeting ECB standards and encouraging inclusivity by promoting participation from women and disabled individuals in cricket.

Through effective collaboration and meticulous planning, the Wixams Academy extension successfully delivered increased capacity, enhanced sports facilities, and a high-quality environment for pupils and staff. The project balanced short-term needs with long-term goals, ensuring the school could meet the growing community’s educational and recreational demands.

The success of this project underscores the power of teamwork in delivering impactful results. Through close collaboration with the contractor Willmott Dixon, we ensured that the school's needs were prioritised, particularly with the change in brief and the requirement for modular classrooms.

A further aspect of our collaborative approach was that we engaged with the area’s master developer and the housebuilders nearby to build a haul road to allow access to the rear of the site, so no deliveries endangered pupils by coming to the main entrance at the front of the site.

Through effective collaboration and meticulous planning, the Wixams Academy extension successfully delivered increased capacity, enhanced sports facilities, and a high-quality environment for pupils and staff. The project balanced short-term needs with long-term goals, ensuring the school could meet the growing community’s educational and recreational demands.