How to Manage Uncertainty in Future Pupil Numbers and School Builds

We know that significant numbers of new school places will be needed in the next few years. What we cannot predict with certainty is exactly where all of these places will be needed or exactly when. What we know for sure is that land for school building programmes is in increasingly short supply.

Flexibility and the ability to respond rapidly and creatively to changing needs are clearly essential if we want to guarantee that all of our young people will learn in an appropriate environment. Yet the construction industry often finds it challenging to deliver the flexibility and responsiveness required. Partly this is down to the building methods used. To a large extent it is down to complexity in the design and delivery supply chain.

With a traditional model there are many steps and many organisations between a school or local authority identifying what is needed and the delivery of a building, new school or extension that meets that need. There are also limited opportunities to achieve economies through standardisation and applying lessons learned from one project to the next.

And when needs change it’s all too easy to find yourself having used up the available development land with limited opportunities to expand further or adapt existing buildings.

Streamlining and Innovation

The scale of the school building challenge is almost without precedent. Innovation and streamlining throughout the design and construction process will become even more important.

The question for commissioners of school building programmes is how greater flexibility and efficiency of land use can be married with greater certainty of delivery and exceptional building performance.

The model used by Innovaré is different from traditional construction. Controlling the entire process from design, through engineering and manufacturing, to installation of the structure means that there are fewer partners involved. There’s less opportunity for miscommunication and a clearer line of sight between identifying needs and delivering building projects that meet current needs, with the capability to adapt easily to future demands.

Part of the advantage comes from the System of offsite construction. The insulating properties and flexible configuration of the panels offer straightforward options for meeting complex design challenges and comply with the Facilities Output Specification (FOS). Structures are easy to standardise and, when planned appropriately, can be quickly extended up or out when more capacity is needed.

The biggest difference comes from having the people who will create the physical structure involved from the earliest stages, able to contribute specialist expertise to meeting the challenges of efficient land use, building performance and future flexibility. We believe this capability is unique, which is why our technology and expertise are increasingly sought out for demanding education building programmes where flexible capacity and rapid build times are critical.

Get in touch to discuss your school project with us on 0845 674 0020 or visit our website for more information.