EWA were commissioned to design a scheme to extend Oswald Road Primary School from two to three form entry as part of the Government’s Basic Needs programme. We identified an opportunity to make better use of moneys that had been set aside for providing temporary accommodation, by creating two class bases, on a permanent basis, ahead of the rest of the construction works by utilising off-site fabrication.

The team had a period of around four months in which to design, achieve planning consent for and deliver a functioning unit for two foundation classes. We engaged with a prefabricated building contractor, who built the unit off site in a factory in Yorkshire. They then delivered the unit to site and concluded the on-site works during the school’s summer holiday. In addition, this also meant that there was minimal disruption to the school.

The scheme was considered so successful that MCC are conducting a full appraisal to establish if the same approach could be employed across other schools in the city.