Education Property Issue 05 October-November 2024

10/2024

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024

Designing for expansion — how architects

are helping nursery providers scale

their businesses across the UK

The impact of well-designed

outdoor play spaces on learning

outcomes and pupil wellbeing

New professional alliance supports

education estates managers to

meet compliance demands

EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Comment

W E L C O M E

A new beginning

Last month, the new Secretary

of State for Education, Bridget

Phillipson, gave a speech at the

Organisation for Economic Cooperation

and Development’s

(OECD) Education at a Glance

annual report launch.

Her visit came as new data

shows that a third of children

leaving primary school do not

meet the expected standard in

reading, writing, and maths

following assessment.

And one in 10 pupils in this

country misses at least a meal a

month because their parents can’t

afford to buy food.

Phillipson said: “Lurking

beneath all of these separate

challenges is a common denominator of distress: child

poverty — the stain on our society that has seeped into

the fabric of far too many families.

“Tackling child poverty is one piece of the puzzle

— and it’s a top priority for this parliament. But fixing

the foundations of opportunity demands equity in

education too.

“For this new government, it means high and rising

standards across the length and breadth of education.

“September signals the end of summer, but a new

beginning for education.

“The work to fix the foundations, to build a new

nation of opportunity, has now begun.”

As yet, the new government has not made much

mention of the physical infrastructure from which

these services will be delivered, other than the

ongoing commitment to addressing the RAAC crisis

and predictions about the number of new nurseries

which will be needed to meet the extension to

early years funding.

But it is inevitable that any change in policy or

approach will have an impact on the estate.

Indeed, the role of EFM

professionals was front and

centre when the update to the

Academy Trust Handbook was

recently published.

For the first time it includes

changes which mean that poor

estates management could be used

as a reason to issue schools with

improvement notices.

You can read more about

this in our Estates and Facilities

section (p38), where there is

also an interview with Stuart

McGregor, director of operations

at the National Alliance of School

Premises Managers (NASPM),

an organisation launched earlier

this year to provide school and

premises teams and leadership staff with assurance in

complete school health, safety, and estates management.

Elsewhere, in our Finance and Property section (p16)

we look at the key considerations when refinancing

school property portfolios; explore what nurseries are

looking for when acquiring new sites; and provide an

overview of the importance of the valuation process.

Design and Build features include insight into a new

approach to construction projects, which sees a ‘client

representative’ take pressure off school leaders; and we

look at the importance of outdoor spaces.

Coming up in the next edition we will be looking

at the impact of Building Management Systems on

estates efficiency and sustainability. And we will be

exploring how sensory rooms can provide spaces for

improved learning.

If you can help with these, or any other features, please

contact joanne.makosinski@nexusgroup.co.uk

Jo Makosinski

Editor

Education Property

About Jo: Jo is the editor of Education Property, having

joined Nexus Media in November.

She has been specialising in design and construction

best practice for the past 14 years, working on the

Building Better Healthcare Awards and editing both

Building Better Healthcare and Healthcare Design &

Management magazines.

She has a special interest in the design of public

buildings including schools, nurseries, colleges,

hospitals, health centres, and libraries.

EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024 | 3

Contents

Chief executive officer

Alex Dampier

Chief operating officer

Sarah Hyman

Chief marketing officer

Julia Payne

Editor

Joanne Makosinski

joanne.makosinski@nexusgroup.co.uk

Reporter and subeditor

Charles Wheeldon

Business development director

Mike Griffin

Advertising & event sales director

Caroline Bowern

Business development executive

Kirsty Parks

Sales manager

Luke Crist

Publisher

Harry Hyman

Investor Publishing Ltd, 3rd Floor,

10 Rose & Crown Yard, King Street,

London, SW1Y 6RE

Tel: 020 7104 2000

Website: www.education-property.com

Education Property is published six times a year

by Investor Publishing Ltd.

ISSN 3033-3458

© Investor Publishing Limited 2024

The views expressed in Healthcare Property

are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers.

@edu_prop

linkedin.com/company/education-property-magazine/

6-13 News

We round up the latest big

stories, including plans for a new

teaching and learning block at

the University of Southampton,

the appointment of a contractor

for the Heywood Academy

scheme, and the transformation

of the Queen Margaret University

campus in Musselburgh

12

12-14 Policy

The Government pushes ahead

with its reform agenda by

scrapping single-headline Ofsted

judgements for schools, plus

school leaders call for action on

the RAAC crisis

16

16-23 Finance and Property

Features include the important

role of valuations, considerations

when refinancing schools’ property

portfolios, and what nursery

operators look for in suitable

sites for expansion

24-27 Finance and

Property Deals

The very latest property sales

and acquisitions from across the

education sector

28-37 Building Design

How one forward-thinking

consultant is spearheading a fresh

approach to education estates

project management, why outdoor

play spaces are so important, and

how design can help providers

scale their operations

38

38-40 Estates and Facilities

Management

Profiling the launch of the National

Alliance of School Premises

Managers, and we find out about

changes to the Academy Trust

Handbook and how this will

impact estates

42-45 Awards

The finalists of the 2024

National nmt Nursery

Awards are announced

28

46-50 Environmental

Early years provider, Grandir

UK, champions sustainability;

green funding model supports

schools’ net-zero ambitions; and

Ayrshire school set to become the

first in the UK to achieve energy

efficiency certification


News

Plans for specialist training centre

Work has begun on the construction of

specialist anatomy training facilities at

the University of East Anglia (UEA).

The two-storey extension to the Edith

Cavell Building (ECB) is located adjacent

to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

and will provide the latest facilities to

deliver the highest standards of training.

The anatomy suite is due to be finished

in late 2025 and will become operational

during 2026, offering 390sq m of teaching

space in seminar rooms, an immersive

anatomy teaching space, improved

preparation areas for staff and students,

and associated storage and academic

office facilities.

A spokesman for UEA said: “It will

offer significantly more space, which

is needed for teaching and practical

skills development, and will support the

recruitment and retention of highly-skilled

healthcare professionals both regionally

and nationally.”

Charles ffrench-Constant, pro vice

chancellor in UEA’s Faculty of Medicine

and Health Sciences, added: “Our anatomy

teaching facilities have been at the heart

of our healthcare student training for two

decades and it’s now wonderful to be

able to fully modernise this vital part of

our buildings to increase the number of

students we can train and provide them

with state-of-the-art facilities.”

Replacing the existing suite, the new

facility will be one of the country’s first

to meet contemporary standards set by

the World Health Organization (WHO)

following new legislation relating to

exposure to formaldehyde.

It will increase teaching and course

capacity at undergraduate, postgraduate,

and specialist training levels, and provide

flexibility to react to technological changes

in teaching methods, sitting alongside the

immersive training facilities within the ECB.

Stephen Chapman, senior faculty

manager for UEA Medicine and Health

Sciences, said: “The new anatomy suite

will be a worldwide exemplar facility

incorporating current best practices.

“Meeting the needs of an expanding NHS

requires major increases in student numbers

for courses that require experience with the

SEN school contractor appointed

suite, and this development ensures that

we can meet that demand and benefit the

population of our region.”

The majority of funding for the facility

has come through a grant of £4.8m from

the Office for Students, with additional

contributions drawn from the Faculty of

Medicine and Health Sciences through

funds ringfenced exclusively for use on

capital development projects and the

wider university.

The building has been designed by

LSI Architects.

Peter Durrant, director at LSI, said: “As

a design team, we have enjoyed working

very closely with the anatomy team and

wider UEA stakeholders to design a new

facility that will be at the forefront of new

ways of teaching.

“We’re very much looking forward to

seeing this project come to life over the

coming months.”

Tilbury Douglas has been appointed

to lead the construction of the

Heywood Academy on behalf of the

Department for Education.

Ellis Williams Architects has designed

the two-storey building in Heywood which

will be operated by the New Bridge Multi

Academy Trust to provide education for

up to 76 pupils aged 11-19 with Special

Educational Needs (SEN).

On the ground floor there will be a main

hall, as well as a dining room and offices.

There will also be two sensory rooms, five

classrooms, and a food science lab.

Upstairs, pupils aged over 16 will be

provided with seven classrooms, a library,

and a common room.

The project will also include a multi-use

games area, habitat area, and forest school.

Landscaping will feature orchard trees,

wildflower grasses with mown paths, and

timber growing boxes.

These high-quality facilities and sensory

and outdoor learning spaces will cater to

the diverse needs of the children.

And the construction process will embrace

sustainable practices and renewable energy

sources to ensure it achieves net zero

carbon neutral status.

The project will also generate

significant employment and training

opportunities, aiming for a 45% social

value return on investment. This includes

a unique partnership with M3 Project,

an East Lancashire charity providing

essential advice, support, and housing

for the homeless.

Martin Horne, divisional director for

the North West at Tilbury Douglas, said:

“We look forward to working with project

stakeholders to ensure the new building is

delivered to the highest quality to enable

the academy trust to offer first-class

educational facilities to students with

SEN in Rochdale.”

6 | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

News

Expansion plan for

Seashell Trust

Eric Wright Construction has started

the building and fitout of a £22m

college building for Seashell Trust in

Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, which will

deliver specialist education facilities for

students aged 16-25.

The new building for Royal College

Manchester is made up of a reception and

specialist classrooms along with sports and

administration facilities.

It will also incorporate a café, activity hall

with extended climbing wall, fitness suite,

rebound room, sensory integration room,

and a suite of flexible multi-purpose rooms

at ground-floor level, with contemporary

office space above and associated

external landscaping.

The building will provide 12 new classrooms

and six individual teaching spaces.

Seashell provides support for young

people with complex disabilities and

communication needs.

And the specially-equipped new college

building is designed to enable staff and

students to move about with the minimum

of restriction.

It replaces an existing building which

was not fit for purpose and did not have

space for the adaptations needed to

accommodate many of the students,

some of whom use wheelchairs and other

equipment to move about.

Some students also live on campus in

neighbouring residential homes.

Commenting on the start on site, James

Eager, director lead from Eric Wright

Construction, said: “We’re really pleased

to have started on the delivery of this

superb new college building which will

really enhance the lives of the students

and staff alike.

“The building has gone through a

painstaking design and review process in

collaboration with the trust’s teaching team,

with every element of its design tailored to

meet the needs of the students.”

Brandon Leigh, chief executive at Seashell,

added: “Watching the building finally start

to take shape is exciting and we can’t wait

to see students and staff enjoying the

building very soon.

“The new college build will mean better

accessibility for students and will be much

better at meeting the needs of the young

adults with complex disabilities who

come to Seashell.”

Eric Wright started enabling works in

January and the building is expected to be

completed by Autumn next year.

Kier to deliver university redevelopment project

The University of

Southampton has struck a

deal with Kier Southern to

deliver a new teaching and

learning building on the North

East Quadrant site.

The £150m development

forms part of the Highfield

Campus in the city and will be

developed in two phases.

The first phase will involve

construction of a 168,000sq ft,

five-storey teaching facility and

ancillary facilities hub designed

by architect, Sheppard Robson.

The building will be split into

three interconnected areas

around a central atrium.

The west block consists of

a concrete structure with the

east/south proposed to be

of a steel frame.

Planning consent is still

needed, but main works are due

to start early next year.

The new building, one

of the centrepieces of the

university’s major estates

transformation, should be

ready to open at the start of the

2027/28 academic year.

Phase 2 has still to be worked

on as a concept design.

Kevin Argent, executive

director of estates and facilities,

said the flagship building

will create a next-generation

teaching and learning facility

which has a focus on student

experience, wellbeing,

and sustainability.

Development of the site,

which has been planned for

several years, will support

plans for growth in staff and

student numbers, and create

a more-sustainable and

inclusive campus.


News

Creating the teaching and

learning spaces of the future

Queen Margaret University campus,

which was built in Musselburgh in

2007, is undergoing a significant

transformation to develop new teaching

and learning spaces.

The Future Spaces project involves the

revitalisation of some of the university’s mostimportant

learning and teaching spaces to

help ensure QMU meets the changing needs

of students and staff.

The work also aims to support QMU’s

ambitions to refresh, enhance, and

modernise the campus so it continues to

attract prospective students and supports the

growth of the university.

With an investment of £2.1m, students and

staff can expect to see a dramatic change

to the Learning Resource Centre and some

ground-floor classroom areas, which will

ultimately expand capacity for self-directed

and collaborative student learning and

informal teaching activity.

The enhancement and repurposing of

spaces will also provide more-flexible use of

key areas of the building and a wider choice

of more-comfortable, vibrant, and sociable

study space options.

And some of the changes will provide

increased capacity for larger practical group

work, which will allow greater flexibility

with timetabling and support the delivery of

high-demand courses.

“Queen Margaret University already

has an attractive, bright, modern campus

development, but it’s important that we

continue investing in our buildings to ensure

they reflect changes in the way students work

and developments in the way we teach,” said

Bruce Laing, director of campus services.

“Essentially, we want to create welcoming

and comfortable study and teaching spaces

where students want to be, and which will

support and enhance their learning.

“Aside from supporting current students

studying at the university, the investment will

help us to remain competitive in our ability to

attract prospective students.”

Stakeholder engagement took place across

the university through workshops, surveys,

and feedback sessions to help shape the

plans and deliver attractive, flexible spaces

which would inspire, motivate, and support

students to fully engage in a diverse range of

learning opportunities.

And the renovation work involves the

transformation of the Learning Resource

Centre to create spaces which support social

learning through collaborative and peer

group projects, and flexible spaces which

support a diversity of informal teaching and

supervision activity.

The work is being carried out by contractor,

Morris & Spottiswood.

£1.6m classroom upgrade

A £1.6m project to build two new

permanent classrooms at an outstanding

special school is now complete and ready

for the new academic year.

Rowan Gate Primary School in

Wellingborough has replaced two temporary

classrooms with a permanent building

which will accommodate 140 pupils.

The improvement programme was funded

by the Department for Education and took

12 months to build.

Rowan Gate Special School is a community

special school for pupils aged 2-11 years.

The new classrooms have replaced the

former double classroom mobile unit and

will provide the necessary teaching and

circulation space needed.

Councillor Scott Edwards, the council’s

executive member for children, families,

education, and skills, said: “This new

building ensures that there is good-quality

permanent capacity at Rowan Gate school,

and I am personally delighted that it will be

open in time for the September term.”

Jason Smithers, leader of North

Northamptonshire Council, added: “As a

council, we are committed to meeting the

needs of children and young people with

SEND and their families and to investing

in providing much-needed special school

places in North Northamptonshire.

“We know this will have a significant and

positive impact.”


News

Offsite methods speed up delivery

A new secondary department is under

development at Discovery Special

Academy in Middlesbrough, utilising

offsite construction methods to deliver

the project quicker and with less

onsite disruption.

The building, which is being delivered

by Portakabin, will be home to 70 new

secondary students aged 11-16 with special

educational needs and disabilities and is an

extension of the already-existing primary

academy which opened in September 2018.

Since then, Discovery Special Academy

has added nursery, and now secondary,

to its provision.

With over 1.6 million pupils in England now

registered as having special educational

needs (SEN), the much-needed additional

spaces being made available will support

pupils’ educational, therapeutic, and medical

needs in the Teesside area.

UNDER ONE ROOF

Currently, students are placed in temporary

accommodation on the site of one of

Discovery’s sister academies, and this

new provision, designed and delivered by

Portakabin, will allow all students, carers,

and teaching staff of Discovery Special

Academy primary and new additional

secondary school to be located on one site.

Comprising eight dedicated SEND

teaching classrooms and shared teaching

spaces, the new academy building will

also feature a music and drama room,

art classrooms, and food tech rooms,

as well as a hall and an area for sensory

integration therapy.

Jennifer Duncan, executive headteacher

at the academy, said: “When we started

this project with Portakabin, we were

entering into a new world of construction

and learning about Modern Methods of

Construction (MMC).

“We needed a company which could

design and deliver a bespoke, highquality

building to serve the academic and

therapeutic needs of our growing academy

community in a tight timescale.

“The level of care, quality, and

professionalism throughout has ensured

that, together, we are on track to deliver this

complex project on time.

“Students will thrive in this new

environment and staff will be able to

continue to deliver excellence of provision

for years to come.

“It will also continue to benefit the wider

community, breaking down barriers

and supporting the vision for a trulyinclusive

Tees Valley.”

The entire school building was

manufactured using Modern Methods of

Construction (MMC), with the customdesigned

modules precision built by

Portakabin at its manufacturing facility in

York and transported in convoy and installed

in Middlesbrough in June.

FLEXIBLE AND SAFE

Over a five-day period, 30 modules were

craned into place.

Jamie Blogg, contract sales manager

at Portakabin, said: “It’s essential to us at

Portakabin that we create a school that is

not only attractive, but, more importantly,

provides a flexible and safe environment that

is welcoming not only to its pupils and staff,

but also to parents, carers, and the wider

Teesside community.

“It’s brilliant that the team here at

Portakabin can be part of the Academy’s

growth journey and we can’t wait to

welcome the students and teachers to their

new learning space later this year.”

Discovery Special Academy will also have

new car parking provision for visitors and

staff, alongside multiple minibus bays and a

dedicated ambulance bay.

The single-storey modular building will

be surrounded by an external courtyard

and landscaped playing field and will

link to the current primary school via a

covered walkway.


News

Record project for

offsite contractor

Algeco UK has completed construction

of a new school in Northampton just 18

months after winning the contract.

This is the biggest school build ever

undertaken by the portable and modular

building supplier, and was secured through

the MMC Framework operated by the

Department for Education (DfE).

Northampton School will eventually

accommodate a total of 1,200 boys and

girls between the ages of 11-18.

The buildings were created utilising

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)

in a quality-controlled offsite environment,

ensuring the highest standards of

workmanship and health and safety.

Algeco developed the project through a

two-phase approach following the receipt

of the DfE’s feasibility, developing the

design in collaboration with the school and

all stakeholders and achieving planning

permission prior to manufacturing utilising

an MMC approach, where the school is

manufactured in modules and taken to site

following completion.

This method means the build was

completed in just 18 months, rather than

typically three years for a traditionallybuilt

structure.

Algeco experts started laying the

foundations in January 2023.

A total of 210 modules were created

at the company’s factory in Carnaby

and transported by road to the

Northampton site.

The company also provided temporary

decant classrooms while the main

building was being constructed, as well

as all the construction site welfare and

associated services.

The school is a £28m state school project

run by the Northampton School for Boys

(NSB) Academy Trust.

It will provide a state-of-the-art facility for

the teaching of secondary school pupils

with dedicated sports, drama, science,

and music rooms.

The new school opened to pupils on 4

September, with Year 8 students the first

to start lessons.

Phil Pavey, managing director at Algeco

Offsite Solutions (OSS), said: “This is

one of the most-exciting projects Algeco

UK has worked on — planning and

constructing a series of buildings to ensure

the students of Northampton have the

best-possible education has been very

motivational for all of us.

“We sincerely hope the new Northampton

School is a place where teachers and

students alike will find a welcoming and

inspirational environment, as well as being

a fantastic focal point in the community.”

Gary Greenhoff, Algeco Offsite Solutions

(OSS) project manager, added: “Using

modular construction means this facility

is ready much faster than traditional

methods, and the flexibility it offers

means the school has everything it could

want and much more.

“There have been a few challenges

along the way, including the heavy rain

this springtime, but we overcame them all

and are ready to hand the school over to

the teachers and pupils ready for termtime

in September.”

Tilbury Douglas to deliver Beacon Academy

Tilbury Douglas has been

appointed as lead contractor

for the delivery of the

new Beacon Academy

in Cleethorpes on behalf

of the Department for

Education (DfE).

The project forms an integral

part of the DfE’s School

Rebuilding Programme, a

decade-long initiative that

involves the reconstruction

or renovation of more than

500 schools and sixth-form

colleges nationwide, enhancing

learning environments for both

students and teachers.

Procured through the DfE

framework, the project will

deliver a new three-storey

secondary school building.

Additionally, one existing

block will be refurbished to offer

general teaching classrooms

and Special Educational Needs

and Disability (SEND) facilities.

The project will also include

improved visitor parking and

new social spaces for students.

Aiming for net zero carbon

in operation, the school will

incorporate air source heat

pumps and a green roof

equipped with integrated

photovoltaic panels, reducing

energy consumption and

enhancing biodiversity.

Phil Shaw, managing director

for Building North at Tilbury

Douglas, said: “Our selection

by the DfE to construct the new

Beacon Academy cements

our reputation as a leading

construction company in the UK

education sector and follows

our recent appointment to build

Sugar Hill Primary School.”

Jason Thurley, headteacher,

added: “The whole academy

community is extremely excited

about the project to rebuild our

school with a new, state-of-theart

facility which will transform

the educational experience

for our students for many

years to come.

“The new building will provide

fantastic facilities for our current

children and future generations

attending the academy and

will enable us to fully realise

our ambitious curriculum and

provide first-class facilities for

our teachers and students.”


Policy

Single-headline grades scrapped

as Ofsted overhaul is announced

Government pushes ahead with reform agenda

by scrapping single-headline Ofsted judgements

for schools with immediate effect

Single-headline grades for schools

will be scrapped with immediate

effect to boost school standards and

increase transparency for parents, the

Government has announced.

Reductive single-headline grades fail

to provide a fair and accurate assessment

of overall school performance across a

range of areas and are supported by a

minority of parents and teachers, the new

Government has ruled.

For inspections this academic year,

parents will see four grades across the

existing sub-categories: quality of

education, behaviour and attitudes,

personal development, and leadership

and management.

This reform paves the way for the

introduction of School Report Cards

from September 2025, which will provide

parents with a full and comprehensive

assessment of how schools are performing

and ensure that inspections are more

effective in driving improvement.

A ‘GENERATIONAL REFORM’

Recent data shows that reports cards are

supported by 77% of parents.

And the Government will continue to

intervene in poorly-performing schools to

ensure high school standards for children.

Bridget Phillipson, Education

Secretary, said: “The need for Ofsted

reform to drive high and rising standards

for all our children in every school is

overwhelmingly clear.

“The removal of headline grades is

a generational reform and a landmark

moment for children, parents, and teachers.

“Single-headline grades are low

information for parents and high

stakes for schools.

“Parents deserve a much-clearer,

much-broader picture of how schools are

performing — and that’s what our report

cards will provide.

“This government will make inspection a

more-powerful, more-transparent tool for

driving school improvement.

“We promised change, and now we

are delivering.”

As part of the announcement, where

Parents deserve a

much-clearer, muchbroader

picture of

how schools are

performing — and

that’s what our report

cards will provide


Policy

schools are identified as struggling, the

Government will prioritise rapidly, getting

plans in place to improve the education and

experience of children, rather than relying

purely on changing school management.

And, from early 2025, the Government

will also introduce Regional Improvement

Teams that will work with struggling

schools to quickly and directly

address areas of weakness, meeting a

manifesto commitment.

STRIKING A BALANCE

The announcement follows engagement

with the sector and the family of

headteacher, Ruth Perry, after a coroner’s

inquest found the Ofsted inspection

process had contributed to her death.

Jason Elsom, chief executive of

Parentkind, said of the move: “We welcome

the decision by the Secretary of State to

prioritise Ofsted reform.

“Most parents understand the need

for school inspection, but they want that

inspection to help schools to improve as

well as giving a verdict on the quality of

education their children are receiving.

“Parents have been very clear that they

want to see changes to the way Ofsted

reports back after visiting a school, and it is

welcome to see a clear timetable being set

out today for moving towards a report card

that will give parents greater clarity of the

performance of their children’s school.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of

National Association of Headteachers,

added: “We have been clear that simplistic

one-word judgements are harmful, and we

are pleased the Government has taken swift

action to remove them.

“School leaders recognise the need for

accountability, but it must be proportionate

and fair and so we are pleased to see a

stronger focus on support for schools

instead of heavy-handed intervention.

“There is much work to do now in

order to design a fundamentally-different,

long-term approach to inspection and we

look forward to working with government

to achieve that.”

Where necessary, in cases of the mostserious

concern, the Government will

continue to intervene, including by issuing

an academy order, which may in some cases

mean transferring to new management.

And Ofsted will continue to identify

those schools which would have previously

been graded as ‘inadequate’.

The Government also currently

intervenes where a school receives two or

more consecutive judgements of ‘requires

improvement’ under the ‘2RI’ policy.

With the exception of schools already

due to convert to academies this term, this

policy will now change.

DRIVING UP STANDARDS

The Government will instead put in place

support for these schools from a highperforming

school, helping to drive up

standards quickly.

The changes build on the recentlyannounced

Children’s Wellbeing Bill, which

will put children at the centre of education

and make changes to ensure every child is

supported to achieve and thrive.

Jon Andrews, head of analysis and

Most parents understand the need for school

inspection, but they want that inspection

to help schools to improve as well as giving

a verdict on the quality of education their

children are receiving

Changes are being made to the way Ofsted reports on inspections. Image, Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

director of school performance at the

Education Policy Institute (EPI), told

Education Property: “The end of oneword

judgements is a positive first step

in reforming a school accountability

system that has made leadership of some

of the most-challenging schools even

more difficult.

“Schools with low levels of disadvantage

and high prior attainment are more likely

to receive positive judgements from Ofsted

and our own research shows that when

schools consistently receive ratings that

are less than good it is associated with

an increase in teacher turnover, and an

increasingly-disadvantaged intake, both of

which make it more difficult to reverse the

negative judgement.

“The current accountability system

creates perverse incentives, including

narrowing the curriculum, reducing the

inclusiveness of admissions practices, and

removing pupils from school rolls.

“The Government is therefore right to

be looking more broadly at how school

performance is measured.”

And Jo Henney, chief executive of care

charity, Nugent, said: “This is a step in the

right direction.

“No two days are the same in the

education sector and to define the

outcomes of a provision using only one

word can be catastrophic, as we’ve seen

with the tragic death of primary school

teacher, Ruth Perry.

“As a charity that has a range of social

care services, including an independent

special school, it’s vital that the inspection

system has more clarity, consideration of

what impacts a school on a daily basis,

and recognises the hard work involved in

providing care and education to children all

year round for us and mainstream settings.” n


Policy

Action needed on RAAC

School leaders are calling on the new

government to increase funding and

support for schools affected by reinforced

autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

According to figures released by the

Liberal Democrats last month, around

7,600 A-Level students are being taught in

schools impacted by RAAC — a lightweight

concrete which was commonly used in the

1950s as a cheaper alternative to standard

concrete, but which has been found to be less

durable and can led to structural failures.

In addition, 19,700 GCSE pupils are

learning in buildings which pose a risk.

As a result of the findings, the Lib Dems

are calling for a special appeals process for

A-level and GCSE students who have had

their education disrupted by crumbling

concrete in schools to allow them to appeal

for higher grades.

The party’s education spokeswoman,

Munira Wilson MP, said: “Thousands of

children have had their education severely

disrupted by crumbling concrete making

their schools unsafe.

Image, Dan Hussey from Pixabay

“It is shocking that some children spent

months being taught in makeshift facilities

through this crucial time in their education.

“The previous Conservative government

abandoned children and parents, leaving a

legacy of crumbling classrooms. And the new

government must now ensure pupils and

parents impacted by these years of chaos are

given the support they need.”

And the Association of School and

College Leaders said the Government

should offer ‘financial protection’ to schools

affected, as well as additional funding to help

pupils impacted by ‘lost learning’.

General secretary, Pepe Di’lasio, said

some schools with RAAC had seen a drop

in pupil numbers as parents opted for a safer

and less-disruptive learning environment for

their children.

And, as schools are given funding per

pupil, any drop in pupil numbers means

a cut in income.

Di’lasio said: “Even small changes in pupil

numbers can have significant implications

for school budgets.

“This is a problem decades in the making

and something that will be to the financial

detriment of the schools affected for

years to come.”

Department for Education (DfE)

figures, as of February this year, show

234 schools and college in England are

impacted by RAAC.

It placed around half of them on the

School Rebuilding Programme, filling the

final spots and dashing the hopes of other

schools without RAAC which had applied

for much-needed rebuilds.

The rest were told they would receive grant

funding to remove the panels. n

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Finance and Property

Secure finance with care

Sarah Outram, a legal director for law firm,

VWV, outlines key considerations when

refinancing schools’ property portfolios

Refinancing a property portfolio is a

strategic financial exercise that can

bring substantial benefits to schools.

We have seen an increase in schools

refinancing their portfolios over the past

12 months and, in some cases, making

significant savings on repayments.

While interest rates are lower, refinancing

can help with improved cash flow and

enhanced funding for capital projects.

However, they require careful

analysis and planning to navigate the

complexities involved.

This article explores the key issues schools

should consider when contemplating the

refinancing of their property portfolios

alongside the Charities Act 2011 requirements

for schools that are charitable in nature.

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

Refinancing involves various legal and

regulatory aspects.

Schools must ensure compliance with

relevant procedures (and Charities Act

requirements if applicable). This includes

understanding tax implications and any

restrictions related to the use of the property.

Given the complexity of refinancing

projects, schools should consider engaging

other professional advisors at an early stage.

Financial consultants and advisors

can provide invaluable assistance in

evaluating options, negotiating terms, and

ensuring compliance with all legal and

regulatory requirements.

Engaging early with solicitors, too, can

help navigate these complexities and ensure

all legal requirements are met.

TIMESCALES

Depending on how complex the school

site is, a charge can take some months to

finalise. It is therefore important to plan

ahead, particularly if there is a current legal

charge with a maturity date.

Having conversations with an existing

bank 6-12 months ahead of the proposed

completion date is prudent.

We have seen an increase in schools

refinancing their portfolios over the past 12

months and, in some cases, making significant

savings on repayments



DUE DILIGENCE

The bank will want to conduct due

diligence as thoroughly as if it were

purchasing the property. This means that

it will require an independent survey of

the school site and will want to undertake

the usual searches including local authority

and environmental and it will also require

lengthy replies to Commercial Property

Standard Enquiries (CPSE) to be provided.

The law firm acting for the school may

also be instructed to act for the bank.

However, the bank may have its own

lawyers it wishes to use. In this case the

school will be responsible for paying for the

bank’s legal fees.

One of the key early steps is to check

whether all of the school’s property is

registered at the Land Registry and to

note whether any of the freehold titles

contain additional restrictions which would

need to be considered on completion of

a refinancing exercise. This could include

consent required from a third party, or add

complexity if the school site was held as

permanent endowment or specie land.

The more titles a school has, the more

complex the process can be and early

conversations with the bank regarding the

area over which the charge will be required

can be helpful.

Looking at the title early also gives the

legal advisors the opportunity to make any

applications to the Land Registry that may

be required to tidy up the registered titles.

At an early stage, it is sensible to start

to pull together the regulatory and other

paperwork which would need to be

disclosed (for instance asbestos reports;

planning documentation; fire safety; and

details of any construction projects over the

past 10 years, along with copies of consents

and guarantees which are still valid).

This can be quite time consuming

and starting to gather the information

at the outset can be helpful to manage

workloads of the bursar and estates team

through the process.

If a bank has separate lawyers, there are

often several sets of additional due diligence

questions once the initial disclosures have

been made. These aim to assist the lawyers

in understanding the site so they are able

to confirm that the bank would be able to

obtain ‘good and marketable title’ if the

school defaulted and the bank needed to

repossess the property.

The additional enquiries often relate to

third party occupiers, building work, or

compliance with the statutory regulations

(fire safety, for example).

BANK DOCUMENTATION

Usually the bank will require a legal

charge (or several if there are separate

title numbers), a debenture, and may also

require guarantees, depending on the

structure of the school company.

The bank will have its own precedent

documentation which cannot be amended

save to reflect the corporate entity of the

borrower. We typically need to make

amendments to add Charities Act clauses.

Following completion of the loan, the bank

will require a restriction to be put on the

registered title to the property. This means

that without the bank’s written consent you

are unable to mortgage, sell, licence, lease, or

share possession of the property.

The loan will also typically include a

number of other requirements on the

school including:

• Keeping the property in good

repair and condition

• Not making any material alterations or

applying for planning consent without

the consent of the bank

• Keeping the property insured

CHARITIES ACT 2011

When granting security over land, a school,

if it is a charity, must follow the procedures

set out in section 124 of the Charities Act

2011 (restrictions on mortgages) in order

to avoid the need for Charity Commission

consent to the grant of the security.

The charity trustees are required to

obtain and consider advice in writing on

the following points before entering into a

legal mortgage:

1. Whether the new facility is necessary for

the purpose for which it is sought

2. Whether the terms of the proposed new

facility are reasonable

3. Whether the school is able to repay the

loan on the terms proposed

This advice must be from someone

reasonably believed by the charity trustees

to be qualified by his or her ability in, and

practical experience of, financial matters,

who has no financial interest in the legal

mortgage or any other transaction in

connection with it.

If a report is not obtained, the school

would need to obtain an order from the

Charity Commission to be able to complete

the refinancing.

The trustees will need to hold a meeting

to consider the report and then agree

the terms of the loan, pass the Section

124 resolutions, and agree to enter into

the various bank documents following

which completion of the refinancing

can take place.

CONCLUSION

Refinancing a property portfolio can

provide schools with significant financial

benefits, but it requires a significant

investment in time and gathering

information for the bank.

The process can be lengthy, but an

early due diligence exercise can speed

up the process. n



Image, Jacqueline Macou from Pixabay

Adding value

Jo Makosinski explores why property valuations

are vital for education providers

The valuation of a building or wider

estate stands at the heart of all

property decision making.

And this is no different in the

education sector.

Whether a school is looking to add a new

building to its estate; provide financial data

for accounting purposes; give information

to support a bid for additional capital;

or sell off an existing asset — an accurate

valuation is the starting point.

Initially, the valuer will ask what they are

valuing and the purpose of the valuation.

They may need to value the whole school,

surplus property, or only the playing fields.

ACCOUNTING FOR ASSETS

Andrew Bowyer, a partner at Carter Jonas

who has been dealing with education

property valuations for 30 years, explains:

“Valuations are an important part of

my job and are required to account for

an education provider’s assets in their

financial returns.

Academy trusts and universities, which are

using public money, are accountable for that

spending and need to show that they have a got

a valuable asset or assets

“Academy trusts and universities, which

are using public money, are accountable for

that spending and need to show that they

have got a valuable asset or assets.

“For academy trusts, which can operate

two, three, or more schools, we generally

provide valuations when they take on

a new school or have a new building

constructed for them.

“In contrast, for independent and private

schools, we usually provide valuations when

they are looking to raise finance or if they

want to dispose of an asset within their

property portfolio.”

Disposals have become more

commonplace, and are expected to increase,

as the market responds to the Government’s

decision to remove the VAT exemption on

private school fees from 1 January next year.

“We have been approached by a number

of schools around the UK to value their

sites on the basis that annual pupils

intake numbers are low, or predicted

to be very low, following the VAT

change,” said Bowyer.

RISE AND FALL

“Inevitably some schools will fall as a

result of this and we already know of a

couple of private schools which are having

to close, so they are looking to identify

what their value is in the market, and not

necessarily as a school.



“While the local authority will generally

want to secure education sites for education

use, there is the possibility of selling assets

for other uses if the school can demonstrate

there is a lack of demand.

“Some private schools, for example,

are set in lovely country mansion houses

and estates and these are popular among

residential developers.

“In this case the valuation is crucial. The

developer will want to know the building

has been well maintained and is physically

sound and in a good location.

“The valuer will look at everything from

the physical buildings and amenity assets to

playing fields and landscaping.”

Valuations are also sought by education

providers if they are leasing property as they

are used to underpin rent reviews.

TYPES OF VALUATION

According to the Royal Institution of

Chartered Surveyors (RICS), there are

several approaches for valuing a school

according to individual circumstances.

• Comparative method (market

approach): Evidence of freehold and

leasehold transactions of other schools

and similar properties is analysed,

adjusted, and applied to the subject

property, usually on a per-square-metre

basis. Adjustments would be made to

reflect location, size, condition, any legal

or planning restrictions, and facilities

such as sports pitches.

• Profits method (income approach):

The valuer’s job is to assess the fair

maintainable trade expected from the

subject property, as a fully-equipped

trading entity operated by a reasonablyefficient

operator that is assumed to have

a profit motive. The valuer then applies

a capitalisation yield to their assessment

of Fair Maintainable Operating Profit

(FMOP), which is informed by market

transactions. As with all properties

valued on an income approach,

knowledge of the trading performance of

other schools which have been transacted

is important when undertaking analysis

of the year’s purchase (YP) multiple. It

Inevitably some schools will fall as a result of

this and we already know of a couple of private

schools which are having to close, so they are

looking to identify what their value is in the

market, and not necessarily as a school

is helpful to be involved in the market

transactions, or have agency colleagues

who are, in order to value trading schools

• Depreciated replacement cost

(DRC), or cost approach: This is more

commonly used for state schools, but

may occasionally be adopted in financial

reporting for a few independents, if the

valuer considers that the property is

of a scale or nature which has rarely, if

ever, been traded in the open market.

The approach is based on the current

cost of building a modern equivalent

replacement school, including acquiring

a suitable site, less deductions for physical

deterioration and all relevant forms of

obsolescence and optimisation

• Residual method: Vacant school assets

may be assessed having regard to market

demand and pricing for a continuation of

their existing use, as well as the so-called

hope value for any higher-value alternative

use or redevelopment potential. The valuer

assesses the gross development value for

a realistic redevelopment scheme and

deducts development, finance, and sale

costs and an appropriate developer’s profit.

The residual land value is then adjusted for

planning and other risks

• Reinstatement cost assessment

(cost approach): It is a common

misconception that the cost of rebuilding

the school premises, which is used for

insurance purposes, is similar to its

market value. It is not, and the two

figures are rarely close

Recent education valuations

undertaken by Carter Jonas include

advising the Haberdashers’ Company

on its Grade II-listed former boarding

houses, educational, and administrative

buildings at one of its sites in

the West Midlands.

Working alongside the company’s

specialists in Oxford, the Birmingham

valuations team was able to combine

regional sector knowledge with

accumulated years onsite to provide joinedup

advice for the client.

And Savills, which is also active in the

education valuations market, was recently

instructed to value a state-of-the-art sixth

form college in Ipswich which boasts

a range of educational and vocational

learning spaces, including mechanics

workshop, hairdressing studio, and

recording studios.

Providing a freehold value will help in

the transfer of the college from the local

authority to becoming an academy trust.

A spokesman said: “Every development

project starts with a valuation.

“Determining financial viability is key

to the initiation of a project — and getting

that right is crucial.”

Bowyer adds: “Specialising in education

valuations is quite a niche part of the sector.

You need to have experience in selling

schools and be aware of what has happened

in the past and have an understanding of

how the sector works and is evolving to give

confidence in the valuation.” n



A healthy pipeline

for PBSA construction

Brigade Central’s proposed

Kirkstall Road campus

Funds raised by Unite will pay for a number of schemes, including a PBSA development in Bristol

Glenigan research reveals continuing growth in the

purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector

As a new academic year approaches,

the continuing growth in demand

for student accommodation

in Britain’s major cities is creating

some significant opportunities for new

construction work.

According to construction industry

insight guru, Glenigan, in the three months

to June of this year, student accommodation

starts on site were worth £839m, 78% up on

the same period a year ago and equivalent

to 8% of all housing starts.

The potential for new work in the sector

was underlined last month when Unite

Group, the FTSE 100 company that is the

largest student landlord, raised £450m from

shareholders to invest in additional space.

POSITIVE FUNDAMENTALS

A series of positive fundamentals are driving

activity in the sector.

Unite points to the UK’s globallyrecognised

higher education sector, a

housing shortage, and high demand for

university places for 18-25-year-olds.

As well as strong demand from

international students, domestic demand

is set to rise thanks to a 16% growth in the

number of 18 year olds in the UK by 2030.

Unite’s development pipeline has grown

to a record £1.5bn in what it says are ‘strong

university markets’, including its first joint

venture in the sector which it is doing with

Newcastle University.

The newly-raised funds will be used

to acquire seven student housing units

across Bristol, Cardiff, and Liverpool

which need work.

Unite is also committing to two new

schemes, with planning consent, in Bristol

and Glasgow with a development cost

of around £200m.

Meanwhile, the funds will also be

used for two other student housing

developments: a 444-bed, £170m scheme in

Southwark due to be ready for the 2027/28

academic year; and another scheme in a

‘prime regional market’ with a development

cost of around £110m.

Glenigan data provides details on

numerous student accommodation schemes

of varying sizes across the country where

work is set to get underway.

In Leeds, for example, detailed plans

have been granted and work is set to get

underway this autumn on a £34.24m

scheme of almost 200 student apartments

at Kirkstall Road, where Brigade Central

is the developer.

The purpose-built scheme of up to 10

storeys will involve over 6,500sq m of space

and work is set to run for 20 months.

Moving south to Southampton, work on

an £11.85m purpose-built scheme which

includes a 5-6-storey building with nearly

250 bed spaces, and another building with

Unite’s planned Meridian Square

development in Stratford, London

eight bed spaces is also due to get underway

later this year.

The project at 119 High Street is set to

run for 13 months.

Meanwhile, in Exeter, work is due to

start this autumn on a £15m scheme in the

city’s Longbrook Street which will provide

accommodation for 97 students.

The project involves a floor area of

some 180sq m and construction will

run for 17 months.

CONVERSION OF SPACE

Renovation schemes involving the

conversion of existing business space into

student accommodation space also offer

opportunities for contractors.

In Manchester, detailed plans have been

granted for an £80m scheme involving

the redevelopment of The Hotspur Press

site to provide student accommodation in

buildings of up to 37 storeys.

The scheme could potentially start in the

new year if delays due to an application for

the building to be listed can be overcome.

On a smaller scale, detailed plans have

been submitted for a £500,000 conversion

of Burlington Arcade in Bournemouth

to student halls of residence as part of a

scheme that is set to start early next year. n


Capital ready to be

unleashed by developers

Finance and Property Deals

Nearly a third of developers — 31% —

have been withholding capital in order to

remain flexible in the face of economic

uncertainty, according to recent research

from Shawbrook.

The same proportion also stated that

they have withheld capital to cover any

unforeseen costs.

Clearly developers are watching economic

headwinds closely, with 36% saying they

have closely monitored trends to ensure

their projects meet current demand, and a

third have focused their developments in

areas that are seeing higher activity.

It is also promising that 32% of developers

surveyed have been able to take on new

developments, and 31% have diversified

their investments, giving an insight into

the sector’s ability to adapt and alter their

strategies to maintain progress and profit.

To mitigate uncertainty, 30% of developers

stated they have worked with a lender to

secure additional funding.

Terry Woodley, managing director of

development finance at Shawbrook, said:

“Economic challenges and considerations

such as rising costs have been key concerns

for developers over the past 12 months.

“However, we have seen the agility of the

sector in evidence, with many developers

diversifying their strategies to mitigate

any impact and navigate their businesses

through a tricky period.

“As well as changing property types, and

making changes to materials, locations,

and other core elements of their plans,

developers have shown an ability to monitor

market demands and effectively tailor their

projects to futureproof their businesses.

Schools seek new sites for expansion

More than 550,000sq ft of educational

space is being sought across England

as nurseries, schools, colleges, and

universities look to expand.

LocatED, the Government-owned

education property advisory firm,

has published its latest list of live site

requirements for 2024.

Incorporated in 2016, LocatED was

established to buy and develop sites for the

Government’s Free Schools Programme

and has a framework agreement with the

Department for Education.

It has individual acquisition budgets to

spend on sites that can deliver 10,000-

175,000sq ft of gross internal floor area on

brownfield, greenfield, and mixed-use sites

as well as in existing buildings that can

satisfy size requirements, making it one of

the largest land purchasers in the UK.

In its August site requirements list, it

shows the most demand is in the North

and South of England, where there are

requirements for 218,000sq ft and 204,000sq

ft of floorspace respectively.

“However, with the new Government

putting housing high on the agenda, and

house builder shares on the up since the

General Election, the outlook appears

positive and developers should have more

opportunities to unleash their capital.”

A further 69,000sq ft of floorspace is

needed in London and 60,000sq ft in the

Midlands and East Anglia.

In the North, sites are being sought in

Durham, East Leeds, and Keighley, while

in the South, developments are needed in

Crawley, Devon, Southampton, and Bristol.

In London, Hammersmith and Fulham,

Camden, Canary Wharf, and Merton are all

potential sites for new developments, while

in the Midlands, works are earmarked for

Nottingham and Bolsover.

Possible sites could include whole or part

buildings with development or

extension capacity, land and

development sites on or off

market, derelict and heritage

buildings, and space on

wider developments.

Scan to access

requirements list



N Family Club, Bushey

Growing a nursery portfolio

N Family Club reveals its plans to increase its property

portfolio and discusses what it looks for in a suitable site

In its pre-election manifesto, Labour

pledged to create 100,000 additional

childcare places and more than 3,000

new nurseries as part of a wide-reaching

childcare plan.

And it said it would turn classrooms in

existing primary schools into ‘school-based

nurseries’ for an estimated cost of around

£40,000 per classroom.

And this is having an impact on the

property market, with nursery groups, both

new and established, looking for suitable

development sites or exiting buildings

which they can purchase or lease.

In this article, Jo Makosinski speaks

to Aaron Grainger, head of expansion

at N Family Club, about its expansion

plans and the key things it looks for when

seeking new locations.

These are the things which tell us if

an area is one we should be considering

before we hone in on the location-specific

matters, trying to answer questions such

as where is the building located in relation

to the local residential areas? And how

convenient is it for our families and team to

travel to and from?

All of the sites we look at are different,

which keeps the site evaluation process

interesting, even more so when factoring

in a major change in an area such as a

large-scale residential development or a

new station opening as we’ve seen with the

launch of the Elizabeth Line.

What is your process when looking to

acquire new sites?

Sites are introduced to myself and then if of

interest I’ll do some desktop research on the

What are the key drivers for investment

in new properties or expansion of

existing sites?

When we select a location for a new nursery

there are a huge range of considerations

including population levels (specifically 0-4

year olds), team recruitment viability, and

the local nursery market.

N Family Club, Bushey



All of the sites we

look at are different,

which keeps the

site evaluation

process interesting,

even more so when

factoring in a major

change in an area

such as a largescale

residential

development or a

new station opening

as we’ve seen with

the launch of the

Elizabeth Line

N Family Club, Walthamstow

N Family Club, Maidenhead

area before inspecting to get a feel for the

property and the area/location.

If it passes the initial viability, then

I’ll work with our in-house design and

construction team to assess viability in

terms of number of places and anticipated

CAPEX costs, following which it will be

discussed informally internally.

If still of interest, then a deal will be

worked up, inspections undertaken by

my colleagues to confirm the earlier

assumptions on places and CAPEX,

and then it will be taken to Investment

Committee sign off.

We pride ourselves on moving quickly

and the whole process commonly takes

two months on relatively-straightforward

sites — if there are planning or other

considerations these can obviously

complicate matters and increase this

timeframe, but we’ll always be upfront and

honest with our partners on this.

Do you have a long-term plan for

acquisitions/expansion?

We’re currently still very much in growth

mode and expecting to end the year with

39 nurseries up and running — our initial

growth plan is to have 70 nurseries by 2027

and the current focus is on organic growth

through new sites.

Beyond that is still being considered.

However, we definitely feel there is the

potential to kick on again once we’ve

realised our initial target.

How do you finance deals?

At N Family we have secured an external

funding partner which has provided us with

what we need to achieve the initial target of

70 nurseries by 2027.

As a company we only take leasehold

interests in property so we don’t tie up

capital in purchasing and retaining freehold

properties. However, we have a number of

partners that we work with regularly which

allows us to look at freehold opportunities

in conjunction. n

N Family Club, Chertsey

N Family Club, Leyton



Family nursery group

takes on new business

Christie & Co has announced the sale

of Rowley Village Nursery in Rowley

Regis, West Midlands.

Rowley Village Nursery is an established

children’s day nursery with a ‘Good’ Ofsted

rating and the capacity to care for up

to 66 children.

It occupies a deceptively-large property

on a corner plot, with bright gates and a

large frontage, making it an attractive and

noticeable nursery for potential parents.

It was previously owned by Pranay Paw,

a local hotelier who decided to sell to

concentrate on his other business ventures.

Following a confidential sales process with

Jassi Sunner at Christie & Co, the setting

has been purchased by Little Scallywags

Day Nursery Ltd, a family group with

parents, sons, and daughters all involved in

the business in various roles.

This will be the group’s eighth setting

and the new owners have already begun

refurbishing the site with a view to reopening

it this month.

Emma Williams, director at Little

Scallywags Day Nursery Ltd, said: “On

viewing Rowley village, we immediately saw

the great potential it had for growth.

“After meeting the staff, children, and

parents, we shared our vision for the

future of Rowley Village and its refurb is

Rowley Village Nursery

already underway.”

Sunner adds: “Shortly after going to

market, we had 11 genuine interested

parties, followed by seven fruitful viewings

and multiple offers submitted.

“Pranay was quick to accept the offer from

Little Scallywags due to its experience in

the sector and ability to complete the sale

effectively alongside Ofsted changes.

“The sale is a great example of the growth

we continue to see from regional groups in the

Midlands and the general positivity the market

has alongside the changes in funding already

in place and due to land later this year.”

Rowley Village Nursery was sold for an

undisclosed price.

Education provider snaps up landmark building

Global Banking School (GBS) has

secured 69,000sq ft at 1 Brindleyplace

in Birmingham, marking the largest

traditional office lease in the location in

more than a decade.

The higher education provider has signed

a 15-year lease for the entire building

with Macquarie Asset Management,

advised by CBRE.

Part of Global Education (GEDU), GBS

operates 10 campuses across London,

Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester,

serving over 30,000 students.

Initially founded in 2010 as a specialist

training centre for finance and investment

banking, GBS now offers vocational,

undergraduate, and postgraduate

programmes in finance, accounting,

business, construction, tourism,

and healthcare.

1 Brindleyplace will be GBS’s third campus

in Birmingham, joining locations at Fazeley

Studios in Digbeth and Norfolk House on

Smallbrook Queensway.

James Kennedy, deputy chief executive

of GBS, said: “At GBS, we are working to

deliver on the GEDU goal of changing lives

through education.

“We offer students unparalleled flexibility

to complete their studies within their

already busy personal and professional

lives, enabling them to take that next step

in their careers.

“This expanded footprint will allow us

to even better serve the Birmingham

community, a city in which we are proud to

have a presence.”

Theo Holmes, senior director and head

of office agency at CBRE in Birmingham,

advised Macquarie on the letting.

He said: “The education sector is

particularly active in the office market,

with several notable deals in the last 18

months, including QAHE’s 45,000sq ft

letting at Louisa Ryland House; Arden

University taking an additional 24,000sq ft

in Crossway House; and University College

Birmingham’s acquisition of 45,000sq ft at

Baskerville House.

“The repurposing of office space for

education use is a trend that is continuing to

gather pace in Birmingham.

“Space requirements of education

providers are very similar to office occupiers.

“When coupled with access to local

amenities and good transport links, it’s

easy to see why an increasing number are

choosing this route to establish and expand

their campuses in the city.

“Brindleyplace provides the perfect

campus location, offering good-quality

accommodation and affordable rents, within

a safe, managed environment.”


Family-run day nursery

group sells off five assets

.


Christie & Co has announced the sale of

Hollies Day Nurseries in Nottingham.

Established for over 30 years, Hollies Day

Nurseries is a family-run group of five day

nurseries located across Sherwood, Arnold,

Mapperley, and West Bridgford.

The nurseries are renowned within the

surrounding areas for offering premium

childcare and education from five

impressive properties all in visible soughtafter

trading locations.

All settings enjoy either ‘Good’ or

‘Outstanding’ Ofsted ratings and have a

strong emphasis on using natural materials

and nature-based play, incorporating the

Reggio approach into their curriculum, and

delivering Forest School sessions provided

by qualified Forest School leaders.

All the nurseries are run under

management with long-serving staff teams

and the support of a head office function.

The group has been owned by Andrew

and Becky Pike for the last 32 years.

Following a sales process handled by

Jassi Sunner and David Eaves at Christie &

Co, the group has been purchased by Kids

Planet Day Nurseries, which now owns over

200 nurseries across the UK.

First-time sale for Montessori pre school

The freehold sale of Sheen

Montessori Nursery has

been announced.

Established in 2011 by

husband-and-wife team, Steve

McNicol and Fiona Macleod,

Sheen Montessori has steadily

grown to become the go-to

Montessori nursery in Sheen,

South West London.

Their Montessori pedagogy

recognises that each child

learns in a different way,

taking a different path and

travelling at a different pace,

so they designed the nursery

to encourage curiosity

and discovery among the

children that attend.

Macleod started the nursery

when they had their own

children and has continued to

work alongside the manager to

create the business.

At any one time, this Ofstedrated

‘Outstanding’ nursery

takes up to 60 children and

was purpose built to provide

bright, light-filled rooms

for the children to enjoy

across two floors.

The nursery also benefits

from unrivalled access to

Sheen Montessori Nursery

the outdoors, not only from

its impressive garden, but

also from being situated

on Palewell Common — a

unique experience for a

London nursery.

McNicol and Macleod

recently decided to sell to retire

from the sector to spend time

with their family.

Following a confidential sales

process with Sophie Willcox at

Christie & Co, and with funding

sourced through Alena Ray at

Christie Finance, the nursery

has been purchased by SMART

Preschool Education Ltd,

which owns another setting

in Southfields.

Antonietta Hibberd and

Tatiana Carvalho, directors at

SMART Preschool Education

Ltd, said: “It is a privilege

to have the opportunity to

continue the legacy of providing

excellent care and education

to the children and families at

Sheen Montessori.

“Our aim is to create a

great home for high-quality

independent preschools, each

maintaining their own unique

identity and expertise.”

Willcox added: “Sheen

Montessori is a truly

wonderful setting that exudes

quality and calmness.

“I knew it would be an

attractive proposition for a

new owner and I am excited

to see what Philip and

Allan do with the business

Clare Roberts, chief executive at Kids

Planet Day Nurseries, said: “I am delighted

to welcome Hollies into the Kids Planet

family, growing our presence in the

Nottingham area.

“Hollies’ focus on inspiring learning

environments is closely aligned with

our own approach and we look forward

to working with the teams and families

moving forward.

moving forward.

“Despite the nursery running

on a term time-only basis,

Steve and Fiona have created

a highly-profitable model

that is unique for term-timeonly

preschools, and I knew

it would be of interest to

SMART Preschools.”

Alena Ray, director at Christie

Finance, said: “We completed

the acquisition in three and a

half months which is a quick

turnaround in the current

climate, but this is attributable

to Philip and Allan for their

confidence in me and their

attention to detail.”

Sheen Montessori

Nursery was sold for an

undisclosed price.



Private school sells land

to fund development

St George’s Edinburgh is selling

Lansdowne House which sits on a 2.2-

acre plot in Murrayfield in order to fund

a new building within the grounds of

the main school.

The independent boarding, nursery, and

day school for girls aged 3-18 is undertaking

a modernisation programme which involves

relocating the lower school campus from the

Lansdown site to the main campus in time

for the 2025/26 academic year.

Lansdowne House was built in 1875 as a

private dwelling. It is category C-listed, has

an original lodge house, stone boundary

wall, and gate piers.

The property also includes modern

extensions, an original stable building, and

two sports pitches.

Savills has been appointed to

oversee the sale.

Danielle Corker, associate director at

Savills in Edinburgh, said: “This must

be one of the most-attractive residential

development opportunities on the

market in Scotland.

“While we anticipate Lansdowne will be

hotly contested, we will prioritise finding

the right buyer who will respect the history

and legacy of the site and the wider

local community.

“Savills Planning has submitted a preapplication

enquiry to Edinburgh City

Council, but necessary permissions will be

required to be met in respect of listed status,

design, amenity, open space, and parking.”

St George’s Edinburgh

Carol Chandler-Thompson, head of St

George’s School, added: “It is of great

importance to us to honour our school’s

past and to balance maintaining a

beautiful, historic campus, with ensuring

St George’s offers the best 21st-century

educational environment.

“We have a carefully-considered,

pro-active future strategy to ensure we

constantly improve all aspects of our school

and school experience.

“The history of Lansdowne House as a

stand-alone school, and indeed as part

of St George’s, is a highly-valued part of

local and school history and we are fully

committed to keeping the fabric and legacy

of Lansdowne House part of our identity as

we move forward.

“However, currently being split across

two sites causes logistical challenges and

increased costs of maintenance.

“The Lansdowne building is beautiful, but

facilities like this are very difficult to renovate

and suitably equip with sustainable and

modern technology.

“As the house ages, its ongoing

maintenance becomes ever more

impractical and expensive.

“The new building’s design will reflect

the importance St George’s has long

placed upon developing the pupils’ skills

for the future: problem solving, teamworking,

generating creative solutions,

testing hypotheses, and using their voice

to communicate ideas to peers and

wider audiences.”

New HQ for education trust

A Suffolk-based education trust has

moved into new headquarters in time for

the start of the new academic year.

Unity Schools Partnership has relocated

its headquarters within Haverhill from the

former Parkway Middle School site in Park

Road to a modern building in Homefield

Road on the southern edge of the town.

Eddisons acted as sole agent on behalf of

the landlord in the lettings deal, which sees

the trust take a new lease on 6,187sq ft of

accommodation in a property that forms

part of a small development of commercial

premises known as ‘The Roadside’.

The building had previously been in use as

a daycare nursery for young children.

Unity Schools Partnership had been

Unity Schools Partnership

seeking more-suitable, modern premises

within Haverhill in which to relocate its head

office operations for a number of months

before securing its new base.

Tim Coulson, chief executive of Unity

Schools Partnership, said: “We had long

identified the need to move the head

office of the trust.

“We wanted something that would be

more befitting our agile and growing

organisation, while remaining in our home

town of Haverhill.

“We are delighted with the new

facilities offered at Homefield Road. They

are a great base for our central team

as well as providing ample space for

meetings of all sizes.”

Speaking about the letting of the

Homefield Road premises, Eddisons’ Ben

Green added: “The trust has an established

association with Haverhill and we’re happy

to have played our part, on behalf of the

landlord, in securing it as the new — and

very suitable — tenant for the property.”



Defunct school to

reopen following sale

American-Chinese private

educational institution, Sias,

has purchased St Michael’s

College in Tenbury Wells,

Worcestershire, which will

reopen after the COVID-19

pandemic forced its closure

in June 2020 due to its

international pupils being

unable to travel, Worcester

News has reported.

The former boarding school

will reopen as a private

school offering day school

and boarding for secondary

education from Year 9

upwards, as well as sixth

form education for UK and

international students.

Commercial property estate

agent, Fisher German, facilitated

the sale of the 22.76-acre site

which included the Grade IIlisted

main building and 13 other

buildings including the former

St Michael’s College

sports hall, boarding houses,

and educational blocks.

St Michael’s Abbey School’s

chief executive, Lily Colton,

said: “It is a very-attractive site

with an interesting history and

a beautiful main building, which

will make a very nice learning

environment for our students.

“We will be opening a highquality

private school open

to both UK and international

students and intend on making

our fees affordable for those

within the local community.

“The school has not been

in use for a number of years

and we now have a significant

amount of work to do to

refurbish the site ahead of

opening in September 2025.

“We aim to become a major

employer in the area and will

soon be engaging with the

local community in order to

fill a wide variety of vacancies

at the school.”

St Michael’s College was

founded in 1856 as a choir

school for boys.

Financial difficulties forced

the school’s closure in 1985,

before it reopened in 1990 as

an independent international

boarding school.

Boarding school closes as deal falls through

Independent boarding and day school,

Kilgraston School in Bridge of Earn,

Perthshire, has closed after education

provider, Achieve Education, ‘reassessed

its commitment to investing in the school’,

the BBC has reported.

Founded in 1930, Kilgraston employed 116

staff and taught approximately 170 pupils.

It offered primary education for boys and

girls aged from 5-12 years old and girls

only from 5-18.

Boarding was also available for girls only

aged eight years and above.

Despite launching a £2m fundraising

campaign last year, the school stated it had

a short- and long-term funding deficit and

was facing a shortfall of about £860,000 for

the forthcoming academic year.

A spokesperson for Kilgraston’s board

of trustees said: “Last year was extremely

difficult for the Kilgraston community as

we faced significant challenges to keep

the school open.

“Education provider, Achieve Education,

stepped in to financially support and

manage the school in the short term and to

Kilgraston School

buy the school in the longer term.”

Achieve Education had initially planned

to purchase the school last month, but in

a letter to parents it said that Achieve’s

chairman was suffering from ill health,

leading him to reconsider the purchase.

Kilgraston’s spokesperson said: “At this

point, we have three priorities: the welfare of

staff, the welfare of pupils; and assistance for

parents in finding places for their children

at other schools.

“We will do all we can to help ensure a

smooth transition for all affected.

“We are very sorry not to be able to

continue operating a school that is close to

all our hearts.”


Construction

Scrutinising the

nuts and bolts

Trevor Nicholson was formerly a

director at Hamptons International

and later a director and head of

placemaking at CBRE London.

His work with architects and consultants

such as Ove Arup, Will Alsop, Glenn

Howells, Gardner + Theobalds, and

Barton Willmore from the early stages of

masterplanning to handover for educational

projects has given him a unique insight into

Property consultant, Trevor Nicholson,

is spearheading a fresh approach to the

way UK education estates projects are

managed. Here, he speaks to Education

Property editor, Jo Makosinski.

this very-specialist sector.

And he is now spearheading a fresh

approach to the management of education

estates projects through the introduction of

‘client representatives’ (CRs).

Originally from the US, it is a new concept

that relieves bursars and property managers

of the management and skills burden they

tend to inherit when a school embarks on

complex new building programmes.

Schools are conscious

that they are

expecting their bursar

to take responsibility

for multi-millionpound

construction

budgets, and run a

team of professionals

whose individual

disciplines are

often completely

alien to them


Construction

Taunton School

“Basically, the CR role has evolved

because schools don’t usually have

people with large-scale property and

construction experience on their payroll,”

explains Nicholson.

“The head of estates might have a

surveying background at best, but is

unlikely to have major project experience.

LACKING EXPERTISE

“Schools are conscious that they are

expecting their bursar to take responsibility

for multi-million-pound construction

budgets, and run a team of professionals

whose individual disciplines are often

completely alien to them, usually

relying on a friendly architect to ‘do

everything on the hoof ’.”

He added: “If someone is spending lots

of money building something, there are

any number of times and stages of the

development where they can get tripped up.

“School bursars, governors, estates

managers, and headteachers just don’t have

the time or experience to oversee all the

people involved in a construction project.

“If a construction manager said they had

put the roof on the building and does the

school’s bursar want to see it, the bursar

might go and look and say ‘yes, it’s flat’, or

‘yes it has tiles on it’, but they are probably

not equipped to be able to inspect it and

check the quality of the work.

“The client needs to know that every

element of the project is being checked,

and that’s key.

“Our role is to sit between the client and

the people providing the service to make

sure it runs smoothly and they are getting

what they are paying for.”

RUNNING A TEAM

Under Nicholson’s approach, all consultants

are directly appointed by the school so

that Designers Collateral Warranties sit

directly with them.

However, it is Nicholson’s team who

will liaise and oversee the entire delivery

group, which can include in excess of a

dozen different organisations, such as

the architect, quantity surveyor, project

manager, contract administrator, structural

engineer, civil engineer, mechanical and

electrical contractor, construction design

management, specialist catering consultant,

landscape designer, building control

consultant, and planning consultant.

“Through this process, there is still

head of design team, which will usually be

the architect, and most UK schools have

very good relationships with architects,

but what changes with this approach is

that the whole team reports to the Client

Representative.

“We are not trying to upset architects

by muscling in on their role — just the

opposite — they still have the same design

work to do and can be just as creative, but

our input relieves them of that tedious

compliance relationship with the client.

“Architects tend to get dragged into that

as there is no one else on the team who does

it, so rather than being a threat, we should

be seen as a help.”

MAKING SAVINGS

And he claims there are significant

savings to be made.

“Using a CR need not put the cost

up,” he explains.

“We tend to charge 2% of the overall

programme budget, but there are a lot of

ways in which bringing us in saves money.

“A typical large school construction

project, such as a sports hall or dining room,

can take more than two years from concept

to completion, and one of our biggest roles

is to keep projects on track. After all, time is

money, and every month a project goes over

time costs a fortune.

“Overall, a consultancy team is charging

around 15% of a project budget. We are 2%

Capital projects on

campus are never

straightforward,

but our aim is to

remove the risk of

wasted funds and

executive time by

constant scrutiny of

the nuts and bolts

of that and are making sure that every part

of the project runs smoothly and taking the

pressure off those whose job it is to run the

school, nursery, or university.”

Dispute resolution is also a key

role for the CR.

Nicholson said: “We work with the aim

of running the contract so tightly that no

disputes occur, and we act as the client

rather than a member of the professional

team who may be conflicted if there is

a disagreement.

“A typical educational client is unlikely

to recognise a breach until it is too late,

risking unnecessary legal fees, and it is

usually way beyond a school employee’s

remit to be held accountable for such

significant expenditure.

“Capital projects on campus are

never straightforward, but our aim is

to remove the risk of wasted funds and

executive time by constant scrutiny of the

nuts and bolts.” n


Building Design

Design for expansion

Tom Kennedy, a director at Kennedy Woods Architecture, outlines how he worked

with German nursery group, Kinderzimmer, as it started to scale across the UK

As part of its childcare plan, Labour

has pledged to create 100,000

additional childcare places and

more than 3,000 new nurseries.

Pair this with 15 free hours of childcare

per week, and things seem to be heading in

the right direction.

According to the Department for

Education, 40,000 additional staff are

needed to fulfil this pledge by next

September, with experts warning that

funding without an effective recruitment

drive will be a bandaid solution.

Nurseries across the UK find themselves

confronting a frustrating paradox — they

lack the staff to capitalise on the growing

market demand, driven in part by financial

support from the Government.

In the face of these challenges, a

strategy focused on growth could seem

counterintuitive, but since 2016 Kennedy

Woods Architecture has worked with some

of the best nursery groups in the industry,

helping them to launch new sites fast and

scale smoothly.

We designed 25 schools for N Family

Club and, more recently, worked with

German nursery group, Kinderzimmer, as it

started to scale across the UK.

Kinderzimmer UK chief executive,

Vishav Roma, explains the challenge:

“Several issues have been brewing in the

sector over the past few years, with talent

being a major concern.

“The talent shortage can be attributed

to two main factors. First, the COVID-19

pandemic put such a strain on nurseries,

especially smaller or independent ones, that

it became challenging to offer competitive

pay and benefits, turning what was already

more of a vocation than a career into an

even-less-appealing option.

“As a result, some professionals reevaluated

their choices and left the sector.

“Second, the number of people pursuing

early childhood education degrees has

declined, with more professionals leaving

the field and fewer new entrants.”


Building Design

Roma realised he needed to offer more to

attract great talent.

And, with a bold vision of opening 50

schools in five years, Kinderzimmer offers

its employees the chance to develop their

careers as the company grows.

Roma says: “What makes us unique, and

one of the most-exciting businesses in the

sector, is our rapid growth.

“It’s led to significant advances in

people development, ongoing professional

development, and the creation of early years

jobs that are rare in this industry.”

With the principles of its employee

culture clear, the Kinderzimmer team

focused with equal rigour on the interior

design and functionality of its spaces.

The company contacted Kennedy

Woods Architecture to explore what parts

of Kinderzimmer’s original brand DNA

would resonate with the UK market, what

should be changed or adapted, and how

the process could be designed to allow it to

swiftly scale across London.

“I don’t think the role of design can be

overstated in what we’ve accomplished,

Roma explains.

“It’s absolutely critical to our growth, to

everything we do, to our operations, and

to our strategy.

“Our approach was to create nurseries

that fit with everything we do, and the

meticulous attention we pay to every

detail, whether in new or old buildings,

reflects our dedication to creating a joyful

experience and one that is bespoke to

our curriculum.”

THE DESIGN PROCESS

Initial workshops involved the entire senior

team at the Kennedy Woods studio.

Physical models of existing schools

were poured over, looking for potential

improvements that could come with

a fresh slate.

Soon, brand guidelines were established,

and the growth plan was set in motion.

With the design direction and strategy

set, Kinderzimmer launched its first seven

sites, with another three in the pipeline for

the end of this year.

Kinderzimmer’s preference for ‘landmark’

buildings has meant that, while set interior

design standards provide brand and

operational continuity and a consistent user

experience, the Kennedy Woods team had

the added challenge of carefully adapting

these in a way that also celebrates what’s

special about each building.

Working closely as a client-architect team

has meant lessons learned from each new

site have been carried forward into the next.

And data on employee wellbeing, parent

satisfaction, and child happiness have

With the sector seeing

so much activity, we’ve

now set up a service

specially tailored

to help education

brands grow

driven a continual process of iterative

improvement and refinement.

Roma states: “Design is constant; you

continuously evolve, iterate, and make

nuanced changes.

“When you reach a certain point, it’s

about those incremental percentage

wins at each site.

“By the end of the year, you realise that

this year’s improvements are much better

than last year’s.

“And the data from operations

and feedback from members help us

improve outcomes.

“This iterative, collaborative process

of capturing data and applying it to our

designs never really ends. It continues

to evolve, hopefully creating better

spaces over time.”

With seven schools opened within a year,

Roma and the Kinderzimmer team have

much to celebrate.

However, they remain mindful of their

broader goal ahead and continue to reflect

on improving their approach.

“Our most-significant lessons are

expected to emerge over the next two years,”

Roma explains.

“The initial phase of our collaboration

has been centred on rapid growth and

establishment.

“By the end of this period, we will

have created approximately 1,000 new

childcare places.

“And, as our occupancy increases, we’ll

start learning more lessons.”

Working with Kinderzimmer has been a

fast-paced and exciting experience.

With the sector seeing so much activity,

we’ve now set up a service specially tailored

to help education brands grow.

It’s called Journey to Thirty, and focuses

on three key areas:

• Getting buy-in from potential partners

and investors with an inspiring and

clearly-communicated multi-site

strategy document

• Developing designs for every user

touchpoint to create a distinctive,

trustworthy nursery brand. This can

include graphic identity, wayfinding, and

product development

• Helping clients move fast on potential

sites, ensuring decisions are locked in

early so every new nursery feels part

of the family n


Building Design

A digital design approach

to digital learning

Jo Makosinski speaks to Douglas Craven of LSI Architects about the design approach to

the remodelling and refurbishment of the former Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC building

to create a state-of-the-art new home for Ada, The National College for Digital Skills

Q: Can you tell us about the background

of this project and how it came about?

A: The project really started after our

previous work with Ada College at its

Tottenham Hale location.

Unfortunately, that scheme wasn’t

taken forward due to complications and

various constraints.

Since then, the Tottenham facilities

had become outdated and no longer

fit for purpose.

So, when the opportunity arose to

remodel the Sir Simon Milton Westminster

UTC after it closed in 2022, it was a great

chance to create a new home for Ada, The

National College for Digital Skills.

The new facilities are spread over five

floors, with a variety of spaces which will

support 400 sixth form students and

an additional 240 industry placement

students each year.

Q: Ada College has a unique mission.

How did the design align with its goals?

A: Ada College is named after Ada

Lovelace, one of the first computer

programmers and it focuses on empowering

the next generation of digital talent, with

a particular emphasis on women and

individuals from low-income backgrounds.

Inclusivity is at the heart of what it does.

From the start, our goal was to create

a vibrant and inclusive space that reflects

the college’s core values and the scheme

has prioritised transparency, collaboration,

and integration of technology to reflect the

college’s digital ethos.

Q: What were the main design

challenges you faced?

A: One of the biggest challenges

was addressing the brief set by the

Department for Education, which

required us to include a sports hall to meet

curriculum requirements.


Building Design

At the same time, Ada College needed a

large lecture hall and cinema screen for its

digital programmes.

The solution was a flexible, shared space

with retractable seating. We also installed a

new bulkhead and false wall to ensure that

the space remains safe and compliant, even

during sports sessions.

Q: Could you talk about some of the

standout features of the building?

A: We wanted to blur the lines between

education and work, much like in the realworld

tech industry.

I believe we achieved this really

successfully with extensive use of internal

glazing, in particular creating spaces that

really respond to the requirement for

collaboration and transparency.

It allows anyone in the building

to observe the teaching and learning

happening at any time and is a visual

celebration of the building’s purpose.

The flexible break-out pods and spaces

around the main stair core promote the

theme of collaboration and are an effective

way to maintain that sense of openness.

There’s an open foyer with a Learning

Resource Centre and meeting areas, aiming

to provide a space that merges education

and professional engagement.

We also converted the engineering

workshops into IT suites, lecture theatres

replaced traditional classrooms, and we

added a roof terrace with fantastic views

over London, including Battersea Power

Station, which now serves as a really-useful

outdoor teaching space.

Q: What sustainability measures were

taken during the refurbishment?

A: Since it was an internal refurbishment,

sustainability was a natural focus.

We were mindful of energy use,

especially with all the digital equipment

in the building and we added more

solar PV panels to account for the

additional demand.

We also we worked closely with the

Department for Education to secure

funding to renew the green roof, which

had previously failed but is now a fullyfunctional

part of the building’s ecofriendly

infrastructure.

Q: How did you ensure efficiency and

reduce risk during the design process?

A: Early engagement, quality of initial

design output, and consistent transparency

were key components we employed

to drive value.

By forming early relationships with

product suppliers, sub-contractors,

and installation teams, we were able to

bring crisp, effective thinking to our

early concepts and refine them into the

detailed design.

Being able to establish costs and value

early on was really beneficial in terms of

reducing uncertainty and risk.

We also led the process of using a

refurbishment schedule of works tool

provided by the brief. This allowed us

to drill down into each space, both at a

micro and macro scale, combined with

exploratory site visits.

Feeding this information into our digital

building model helped us manage where

funding and value were best directed

and where improved solutions were

more appropriate.

Q: How did the use of digital

tools benefit the design and

project management?

A: Working within a 3D digital model

environment from concept to project

completion is consistent across our

education sector projects.

It offers immense benefits in terms of

accuracy, collaboration with the wider

design team, and visualising design

challenges with the client.

This approach allowed us to test

conceptual ideas with certainty,

reducing project costs and ensuring

the solutions were feasible from a

technical standpoint.

Q: How do you feel about the outcome

of the project?

A: I’m really passionate about education

design, and this project has been

especially fulfilling.

For me, it’s not just about the materiality

of the building.

The new facilities at Ada College embody

a real sense of community, collaboration,

and transparency.

They have massively improved the

college’s offering and I believe the

building will make a big impact on both

students and staff.

It has been a great project to

be a part of. n


Building Design

Images, Community Playthings

The importance of play

Exploring the role of outdoor spaces in educational

establishments and how they can provide opportunities

for learning and enhance wellbeing

It’s a well-documented, well-researched

fact that play areas enrich the

lives of children.

And their decline over recent years is one

of the reasons for the growing physical and

mental health issues among young people in

our communities.

So, while the design of educational

buildings rightly attracts much interest, so

too should the design of the outside spaces

within these estates.

Barry Leahey MBE, president of Playdale

Playgrounds and an education play expert,

told Education Property: “Outside space,

and play areas in particular, are crucial for

the health and socialisation of our children.

“But the number of new housing

developments near parks has shrunk

by 40% in recent years, meaning many

children’s primary access to a play area is

through school.

“Play areas improve the motor skills

of children, teach them to socialise with

others, rise to new challenges, and keep

them physically active — something which

has never been more important, with 234

of every 1,000 children aged 10-11 now

obese in the UK.”

Fred Mow, design manager at

Community Playthings, added: “Children

have a right to learn and play outdoors.

It is good for social and emotional

wellbeing and confidence building and

provides more-organic opportunities for

children to navigate risk and build risk

assessment skills.”

However, many outdoor spaces

within schools are underutilised and

underdeveloped — often flat, boring

spaces which rely on fixed structures, with

little opportunity for different types of

play or learning.

Mow said: “We need children to be

outdoors and be engaged outdoors.

“Outdoor art, construction, and

…the number of new housing developments

near parks has shrunk by 40% in recent years,

meaning many children’s primary access to a

play area is through school


Building Design

woodwork provide stimulating activities

within the environment that engage

children for significant lengths of time.

“We also need to provide more loose

parts, giving the opportunity for children to

be creative and engage in open-ended play.

“Schools can provide a mix of activities:

blocks, water play, dramatic play, balance

and gross motor skills (pushing, pulling,

lifting), and they must give teachers the

room, and permission, to help children

engage in different types of play.”

Climbing frames, for example, test the

motor functions of children, teaching them

about their limits and aiding their ability to

properly manage risk.

And enclosed slides can help children

conquer their anxieties around dark,

enclosed spaces — rewarding them with an

exhilarating activity that builds confidence;

while seesaws teach collaborative play.

For pupils with special education needs

and disabilities (SEND), in particular, play

areas are a critical learning tool.

A spokesman for ESP Play said:

“Creating a playground where children of

all abilities can play and learn together is

vital for schools that want to be inclusive.

“When looking to make improvements

to your outdoor spaces, it’s important to

choose SEND playground equipment that

caters for a range of different pupils’ needs,

so that every child is able to take part in play

and reap the many benefits it offers.

“Equipment like nest swings, wheelchairaccessible

picnic tables, sensory forest

huts, wheelchair-accessible mud kitchens,

Braille alphabet boards, wheelchairaccessible

swings, and outdoor percussion

instruments ensure that children with

special educational needs and disabilities

have the same opportunities to play, learn,

and grow as their peers.”

Sustainability is also key to design, with

natural materials better for the environment

and a learning tool to teach children about

the need to care for the planet.

Mow explains: “There is demand for

tidy, sustainable, natural, and durable

outdoor products which support creativity

and construction without cluttering and

degrading the outdoor space.

“We encourage settings to nurture

whatever natural assets they have — like

grass, mud, and puddles — and to keep as

many natural elements as possible.

“Astroturf is the habitat for nothing. It is

better to get crates and loose parts that can

be moved around — and get planting!”

Leahey adds: “Play areas that are built to

last and made from recyclable materials that

can be replenished are key to making play

areas more sustainable.

“Materials such as sustainably-sourced

timber can take plenty of wear and tear

and won’t rust like old-fashioned, massproduced

products which can become

a health risk.”

And safety must be paramount

when designing educational play and

learning areas.

Leahey explains: “Children pushing their

physical capabilities is what playgrounds are

all about, but children should never fall or

trip due to faulty or unsafe equipment.

“This is why play equipment should

be properly scoped for its recommended

age range and proper surfacing should be

chosen to soften falls.

“Some floor surfaces used in play areas,

such as wood chips, are not appropriate

for wheelchair users and those with

mobility issues who struggle on uneven

terrain. This is just one example of the

many considerations when designing a safe

outdoor space that is also accessible.”

To address these safety concerns,

manufacturers have refined their design

processes in recent years.

Leahey said: “Safety innovations have

continued, as well as the development

of new play equipment which better fits

the needs of children who require further

accessibility.

“New standards have also been published

to ensure the safety of all children using

play equipment and we believe all play

equipment must be independently tested by

the British Standards Institution or TUV to

ensure safety.”

Offering advice to specifiers, Mow

said: “It is important to provide a range

of different kinds of play opportunities,

especially for open-ended play, and make

the area as natural as possible.

“Schools should consider partnering

with someone with expertise in designing

outdoor spaces and should look for

products that are designed to endure

outdoors and not become unsafe through

rapid deterioration.” n

Schools should consider partnering with

someone with expertise in designing outdoor

spaces and should look for products that are

designed to endure outdoors and not become

unsafe through rapid deterioration


Building Design — Outdoor Spaces

Appeal could bring a bit of

history to school playground

Parents at a Glasgow Primary School

have launched a GoFundMe appeal to

raise the funds to buy an old subway

carriage for the playground.

The £5,000 fundraising bid was set up by

the Parent Council at Ibrox Primary School

and will cover the cost of transporting

the Glasgow ‘Clockwork Orange’ Subway

carriage from storage to the playground.

Around 20 of the carriages are being put

up for sale for community and not-for-profit

organisations and Ibrox Primary believes it

could be used as an outdoor teaching space

as well as providing a link between the

school and the local area.

The fundraiser, by Parent Council appeal

organiser, Dawn Ottley, states: “As a school

community, we were extremely excited

about the idea of acquiring one of these and

positioning it in our school playground.

“This resource would certainly be the

first-of-a-kind in the city and invaluable

for our pupils.

“It would help to make our playground

a more-exciting and stimulating

place for everyone.”

The carriage would provide

• A calm breakout space

• A space for children to help

regulate emotions

• An outdoor teaching area/library

space for storytime

• A link with the local area’s history with

Ibrox having its own Subway station

• A resource to develop the young workforce

and future career aspirations, i.e. “I would

love to be a train driver when I grow up”

• A resource to explore and link to all

aspects of the curriculum for all ages and

stages — literacy, numeracy, social studies,

history, to name a few

• A way of teaching the children the value

of respect (one of the school’s values)

and the importance of looking after

property and heritage

• Keeping the subway carriages in the city

where they belong

The money will be used to cover the cost of

transporting, positioning, and securing the

carriage at the school.

So far, Ibrox Primary School has raised

just over £3,000.

An opportunity to engage

Bright Horizons’ Tudor House Burgess

Hill Day Nursery and Preschool recently

welcomed families for a tea party to

officially open the nursery’s newlyrefurbished

garden area.

A 12-month garden project has

transformed the outdoor space at the

nursery in Gloucester Road, Burgess Hill.

Designed by Bright Horizons’ in-house

designer, Tara Yeandel, the newlyrefurbished

garden is now an attractive

learning and play area for children,

featuring a mud kitchen area with a planter

and mud container, a captivating water

wall feature, and a playhouse surrounded

by planters.

These additions provide children with

opportunities to engage in exploratory play

and connect with nature.

And the nursery will undertake elements

of Nature Kindergarten such as identifying

different species of plants, trees, insects,

and learning about sustainability in a

natural environment.

John Butler, director of finance at Bright

Horizons UK, said: “Our Nurture Approach is

research based and guides our way of being

with, teaching, and caring for children in all

our nurseries.

“Our dedicated practitioners nurture the

whole child, recognising that emotional

wellbeing and secure attachments provide

the foundations for children’s learning

and development.”

The garden refurbishment at Tudor House

aligns with Bright Horizons’ wider Future

Earth Agenda, which promotes sustainable

practices and encourages early years

learning about the environment.

The equipment was installed by KentLincs.


Estates and Facilities Management

Safe and compliant estates

Profiling the launch of the National Alliance of School

Premises Managers and its aim to support education

estates and facilities managers to drive compliance

The National Alliance of School

Premises Managers (NASPM)

launched earlier this year with the

mission to ‘provide school and premises

teams and leadership staff with assurance

in complete school health, safety, and

estates management’.

NASPM supplies a whole range of

premises-related resources, including

essential training for premises staff and

other key employees, such as school

business managers, senior leadership teams,

and school governors.

Resources include time-saving

documentation and systems templates that

members can use to make sure their schools

conform to best practice and remain

compliant with legislation.

The alliance effectively becomes an

additional, professional, and competent

person to guide, assist, and give assurance to

schools, when needed.

Stuart McGregor, the alliance’s director

of operations, identified the lack of support

premises staff often face when dealing with

complex and important matters in the

management of school health, safety, and

estates compliance.

LACK OF STANDARDS

Having been a premises manager, he

recognised that the lack of a national

premises network and appropriate national

standards to support premises teams and

estates at a school level had never been

addressed until now.

Speaking to Education Property,

McGregor explains: “The alliance

has been established to provide direct

support to school premises managers and

leadership teams.

“It supplies the school with a whole range

of tools to use to make sure that, when

carrying out their role, they will remain

compliant with relevant legislation.

“The service is delivered by

knowledgeable and experienced

professionals who work hard to make all

the information and answers relatable, user

friendly, and accessible.”

SAFE AND COMPLIANT

When asked what the challenges are for

schools in managing health and safety and

building compliance, he added: “In my

experience in school auditing over the past

25 years, a common finding is the varying

levels of competence which can have a

significant impact on school compliance

and standards.

These are key roles and, from my experience

when a competent premises manager is off

sick, school compliance often falls apart, with

no one else being aware of what actions and the

legal duties the premises staff undertake



Stuart McGregor

“For instance, premises staff are required

to ensure buildings and estates are safe and

that statutory compliance is achieved. The

same applies to the school leadership team.

“If there are weaknesses in understanding

the legal standards, for example the

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, this

has the potential for a very-real hazard

becoming a significant risk and occupants

could be harmed.

“Often this risk is not realised or

understood by the duty holder/employer until

it is too late, and this can result in a material

breach of legislation and enforcement.

“Also, I believe the role of the

premises staff needs to have more clarity

and importance.

“These are key roles and, from my

experience when a competent premises

manager is off sick, school compliance often

falls apart, with no one else being aware

of what actions and the legal duties the

premises staff undertake.

FALSE ASSURANCE

“I also believe there is a lack of assurance

of school health and safety compliance,

including building statutory compliance,

with little or poor testing and challenging

from school management, and often false

assurance can be presented.

“Two quick examples include a lack of

internal or external assurance auditing of

the building compliance, and no assurances

requested by school management

or the employer.

“False assurance examples include ticking

the box to confirm the statutory compliance

function is completed, such as the Electrical

Installation Condition Reports (EICR),

but there is no analysis evidenced to

support this, with further checking of

the EICR revealing an ‘unsatisfactory’

report with high-risk findings that require

urgent attention.”

The strategic planning of building

improvements is sometimes reactive, lacking

in development strategies for the short- and

longer-term plans

Many school estates are so vast and there are

ongoing concerns over the age and condition

of the buildings and infrastructure.

And, with budget constraints and the

need for compliant, safe buildings, schools

face complex and difficult challenges,

sometimes on a daily basis.

ADDRESSING RISK

McGregor said: “The strategic planning

of building improvements is sometimes

reactive, lacking in development strategies

for short- and longer-term plans.

“Some school challenges with building

conditions, whether a serious plumbing

issue or a lack of fire doors, do present a

risk that should be added to the school’s

risk register and should follow the

escalation of risk process, with the need

for inclusion in the school’s business and

budgetary planning.”

He added: “Our message to our members

is that they do actually have the power to

make their schools either safe or unsafe.

“The NASPM Way is our core culture

for our members to champion in their own

day-to-day work.

“We want to express the power of a

positive health and safety culture and

empower our members to drive this

throughout their schools.

“The main benefit in being involved

with the only national alliance for

school premises staff is the feeling of

belonging to a dedicated professional

support mechanism.”

HELP AT HAND

Other benefits include the Resource Hub,

which is an extensive and accessible toolkit

of essential documents covering everything

about school building management and

health and safety compliance.

The alliance also produces monthly

newsletters relevant to managing school

estates and designed specifically for

premises and leadership teams, providing

them with practical guidance and examples

of best practice.

And its virtual training function gives

access to premises-related training on

health, safety, and estates management,

delivered in an informal, friendly way.

Short, convenient, and easy to

understand, they ensure professionals

have the skills needed to deal with all

aspects of their role.

Schools can also access a team of

chartered professionals via email, with a 48-

hour response time.

Annual membership for the alliance is

£295 a year — less than £1 a day. n

For more information visit the website at

www.naspm.co.uk



Maintaining a

safer school estate

An overview of government changes to the

Academy Trust Handbook and their likely impact

on estates and facilities professionals

For the first time poor estates

management could be used as

a reason to issue schools with

improvement notices.

Under a recent update to the Academy

Trust Handbook — which provides an

overview of financial and governance

requirements for academy trusts in England

— providers which fail to ensure their estate

is in ‘a safe working condition’ could find

themselves issued with a Notice to Improve

(NtI) and as a result risk losing funding.

The document states: “An academy trust’s

estate is both an asset and a mechanism to

deliver outcomes for pupils.

“The DfE expects academy trusts to

manage their school estate strategically

and effectively and maintain their

estate in a safe working condition. This

includes complying with statutory

duties to ensure the health and safety of

building occupants.”

To ensure compliance, trusts are

made aware of a number of key estates

documents and standards they must adhere

to. These include:

• The Government’s Good Estate

Management for Schools (GEMS)

manual, which includes guidance on an

estates strategy and asset management

plan; and the Estate Management

Competency Framework for standards

on the skills and knowledge needed for

individuals at all levels

• The Condition Data Collection (CDC)

process which helps the DfE understand

the condition of government-funded

schools across England for the

purposes of targeting funding where it

is needed most

• Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated

Concrete (RAAC) guidance. RAAC is

a weaker form of concrete used in floors,

walls, and roofs of buildings constructed

or modified between the 1950s-1990s

and could pose a particular risk

• School Capital Funding guidance

— who it’s for, current and past

allocations, how it’s calculated, and

spending guidance

• The Condition Improvement

Fund (CIF), including links to

terms and conditions

Further information and guidance is

available from The Trust Network,

which is run by trusts, for trusts, to help

members develop effective, efficient, and

economically-sustainable estates and safety

management practices.

Commenting on the update, Leora

Cruddas, chief executive of the

Confederation of School Trusts, argued

that the RAAC crisis demonstrated

that condition issues can be ‘long-term,

expensive projects that trusts are not

currently funded to deal with’.

And she called for additional funding to

ensure estates teams can address problems

and avoid sanctions.

“For trusts to truly maintain estates

‘strategically and effectively’ we need

significantly more funding support from

government, and cautious proportionate

use of regulatory action,” she added.

Speaking to Education Property,

Robert Gould, a partner at

education property consultancy,

Barker Associates, said: “Schools

which have been placed in the

‘requires improvement’ category have

restrictions on what can do financially.

“This is the first time estates and facilities

has been included in the list of reasons

which can be given for putting schools into

this category.

“It is likely driven by events such as

the RAAC crisis and concerns around

procurement of capital works identified

through Condition Improvement

Fund audits and the DfE’s Capital

Advisers Programme.”

He advised trusts to ensure they are

familiar with all the documents and

guidance set out above.

“Managers need to go through

this guidance and the self-assessment

processes and ensure they have an

understanding of their legal and statutory

obligations,” he said.

“We advise schools and trusts to follow

the GEMS guidance and we are helping by

taking the DfE’s checklist and putting it

into an online platform where estates teams

can check their performance against the

eight categories.

“This change emphasises the

importance of good project management,

procurement practices, contract admin,

statutory compliance, and planned

maintenance programmes.”

The changes to the handbook also mean

trusts will be able to enter into finance

leases without prior approval from The

Education and Skills Funding Agency

(ESFA) for asset categories on a new

DfE-approved list. This aims to simplify

the process for trusts looking to improve

their facilities. n


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Inside issue 02, April-May 2024

• Special report on the design of purposebuilt

student accommodation

• How modern methods of construction

are creating a new generation of

educational buildings

• Guidance supports estates professionals to

get the most from their sites

Inside issue 03, June-July 2024

• Special report on the latest acoustic

treatments to address noise

pollution in schools

• Study reveals the impact of lighting on

children with special educational needs

• Nurseries launch petition to force

government to axe business rates levy

Inside issue 04, August-September 2024

• Low-carbon heating key to providing

affordable, safe, and sustainable

student accommodation

• How Labour’s victory in the General

Election will impact on the education

property market

• Discussing the untapped potential of

transforming empty commercial premises

into early years education settings

EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Awards

Celebrating success

The finalists of the 2024 National nmt Nursery Awards

have been announced

Now in its 22nd year, the annual

National nmt Nursery Awards is

organised by Education Property

publisher, Nexus Media Group.

And this year there are 27 trophies

up for grabs, with the winners due to be

announced at a ceremony in London

on 30 November.

The finalists are:

PARENT ENGAGEMENT

SPONSORED BY FAMLY

• Alphablocks Nursery School

• Blue Giraffe Childcare

• Busy Bees Harlow

• Kindred Nurseries

• Kensal House Nursery

• Muddy Boots Nurseries

• Roots Federation

• The Little Learners Montessori

• Tiny Toez Treehouse

• Toots Day Nursery

NURSERY ROOM LEADER

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

MCQUEENS DAIRIES

• Amy Clark, Grandir UK

• Billie Timmons, Shoreham Day

Nursery and Preschool, iStep Learning

• Bo Forster, RAFA Kidz Cranwell

• Eglantina Kaziu, Monkey Puzzle

Enfield Day Nursery and Preschool

• Gemma Smith, Pear Tree

Nursery West Road

• Jackie Kidd,

Tiddlywinks Nursery Group

• Jess Hopkins, My Ohana

• Kat Kemp, Kids Inc Nurseries

• Katie Fox, Forest Barn

Nursery School, Storal

• Lynne Goy, Nursery On The Hill

NURSERY CHEF

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY CONNECT2CARE

• Andrew Buckingham, The Old

Station Nursery Iver

• Atilio Soto Aguilar, Play

Away Nursery Totton

• George Dye, Lancing Day Nursery and

Preschool, iStep Learning

• Louise Rintoul, Pilrig Nursery

• Lynne Wright, Little

Adventures Dudley

• Michael Reid, Edgbaston


• Pete Ttofis, Tops Day Nurseries

• Phil Taylor, Happy Days Nursery &

Pre-School Exeter

• Rhian Harris,

Ashbourne Day Nurseries

• Samantha Holland, The Sunflower

Children’s Centre

To book your place at the awards, visit www.nationalnurseryawards.com or call 020 7104 2000


Awards

NURSERY TRAINING &

DEVELOPMENT

SPONSORED BY PARTOU

• Bright Horizons

• The Butterfly Preschool

• London Early Years

Foundation (LEYF)

• Little Adventures Nurseries

• Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs

• Naturally Learning Ltd

• Nestlings Nursery

• Partou Little Dragons

• Storal

• Toddletown Day Nursery

NURSERY INDOOR

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY YPO

• Beal Vale Preschool, MiChild Group

• Beeches Park Day Nursery, The

Den Nursery Group

• Busy Bees Matlock

• The Early Years Academy

• Fennies Nurseries Teddington

• kinderzimmer UK

• The Learning Tree


• The Little Learners

Montessori Cricklewood

• Partou Storytimes

• Wendover Day Nursery, CC Nurseries

INDIVIDUAL NURSERY

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

KIDS INC NURSERIES

• Beeches Park Day Nursery

• Blue Giraffe Childcare

• The Butterfly Preschool

Wimbledon Montessori

• Enya’s Childcare

• Little Lodge Nursery Worcester

• Nära Horton Nursery

• Nursery On The Green

• The Old Forge Day Nursery

• The Old Rectory Nursery

• Pumpkin Patch Nursery

COMMUNITY NURSERY

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY TINIES

• Codsall Community Nursery

• Echoes Day Nursery, MiChild Group

• Hungry Caterpillar Day

Nurseries – High Wycombe

• Just Imagine Day Nursery Vange,

Family First Nurseries

• Kingsmeadows Nursery, Bright

Stars Nursery Group

• Little Adventures

Nursery Victoria Park

• Little Ducklings Childcare

• Wesley Hall Preschool

NURSERY MANAGER

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY MILLHOUSE

• Ashley Webb, Happy Days Nursery &

Pre-School, Droitwich

• Cheriese Parris, Foreign And

Commonwealth Office Nursery,

Bright Horizons

• Claire Mills, Newhouse

Nursery, MiChild Group

• Clare Squire, Mawsley Nursery,


• Kimberly Griffiths, St Ives Nursery,

Bright Stars Nurseries

• Mel Harrison, Busy Bees at Great

Notley Braintree

• Rebecca Few, Kiddi Caru Day Nursery

and Preschool Caldecotte, Grandir UK

• Rosie Malone, Fennies Woking

• Sarah Austin, Old Crofts Bank


• Tori Marques, The Old Station

Nursery Uxbridge

NURSERY BUSINESS

DEVELOPMENT

SPONSORED BY EVOLVE

WITHIN RECRUITMENT

• Evergreen Early Years

• kinderzimmer UK


• Precious Times Day Nursery

The National NMT Nursery Awards 2024

Categories continue on pages 44-45 *


Awards

NURSERY OPERATIONS/

AREA MANAGER OF

THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

THE OLD STATION NURSERY

• Jay Laycock, Shine Childcare Ltd

• Jenna O’Sullivan, The Old

Station Nursery Group

• Kelly Sumner, St. George’s Nursery

• Linzie Goff, MiChild Group

• Niyusha Alizadeh, Family

First Nurseries

• Rachael Lyons, Elmscot Group

• Rebecca Casserly, Nurtured Childcare

• Rebecca Winfield, Storal

• Roberta Burrows, Busy Bees Nurseries

• Sherralyn Egan, Bright Horizons

• Stevie Deeble, Kids Inc Nurseries

THE SENCO AWARD

• Bambi Wainwright,

Partou Little Dragons

• Carly Wray, Seahorse Nursery

• Claire Kevan, Little

Adventures Nurseries

• Emma Haye, Roobyloos Nursery

Worsley, Buddle Nurseries

• Georgina Green, Hungry Caterpillar

Day Nurseries – Academy Gardens

• Gemma Williamson, Roots Federation

• Helen Wheeldon, Kidzrus Nursery Ltd

• Megan Horne-Payne, Bright

Horizons Chineham

• Rebekah Curphey, Shine Childcare

• Rhiannon Thompson, Woodville

Nursery and Preschool, Storal

TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

RAFA KIDZ

• Blossom Educational

• Child Paths UK

• Famly

• Oliiki App

• Pebble

NURSERY NURSE/

CHILDCARE PRACTITIONER

AWARD

SPONSORED BY PARTOU

• Alda Shurdhi, Kids Inc Nurseries

• Alison Moore, The Old Station

Nursery Wellesbourne

• Chantelle La Rosa O’Grady,

Shine Childcare

• Emma Deas, Elmscot

Woodlands Day Nursery

• Freyja Rushton,

RAFAKidz Brize Norton

• Lorraine Neighbour, Stepping

Stones, iStep Learning

• Morgan Lawson, Wee

Gems Corstorphine

• Robyn Pearson, My Ohana

• Samantha Winter, Thrift

Farm Day Nursery

• Sheona Thomas,

Tiddlywinks Nursery Group

NURSERY PERSONALITY

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

GRANDIR UK

• Dave Sinclair, MiChild Group

• Doresha Falconer, Hampstead

Baby Care Nursery

• Giselle St Paul, Jubilee

Nursery, My Ohana

• Helen Mountford, Music Box Nursery

• Jake Forecast, Kids Inc Day

Nursery Beehive Lane

• James Ford, Willow Tree


• Jennifer Lewis, Clever

Cloggs Day Nursery

• John McLaughlin, Pied Piper

Nursery, CC Nurseries

• Tim Thompson, Ashbourne Day

Nurseries at Princes Risborough

• William Dudson, Wendover Day

Nursery, CC Nurseries

NURSERY TEAM

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY HOPE

• Ashbourne Day

Nurseries at Adderbury

• Bright Horizons Haddenham

• Bright Little Stars Watford

• Busy Bees Castle View

• Edgbaston Nursery School, Storal

• Montessori Minds

• Small Friends Day Nursery, The Old


• The Sunflower Children’s Centre

• Tots and Scholars Elstree

• Young Friends Kindergarten

APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY REALISE

• Bright Horizons

• Grandir UK

• Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries

• Montessori Apprentice Academy

• The Old Station Nursery

• Rosedene Nurseries

• Seymour House Ltd

• Storal

• Tops Day Nurseries

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY KIDS PLANET

• Amber Knight, Bright Horizons

• Annie Griggs, Grandir UK

• Emily O’Neill, The Old Station

Nursery Little Oaks

• Hazel Douglas Barnes,

Toots Day Nursery

• Fern Boyden,


• Kayleigh Giles, Kids Inc Nurseries

• Laura Filer, Little Adventures Nurseries

• Mariana Marques, Fennies Nurseries

• Marjorie Podlasin, Kindred Nurseries

• Sarah Porter, Family First Nurseries

To book your place at the awards, visit www.nationalnurseryawards.com or call 020 7104 2000


Awards

NURSERY GROUP (SMALL)

SPONSORED BY DOT 2 DOT

NURSERY INSURANCE

• Bright Kids

• Cybertots

• kinderzimmer UK


• Muddy Boots Nurseries York

• Norfolk House Nursery

• Nurtured Childcare

• Purple Lion Day Nurseries

• Shine Childcare Ltd

• St. George’s Nursery

NURSERY GROUP (MEDIUM)

SPONSORED BY

COMMUNITY PLAYTHINGS

• Kido Schools UK

• Kids Inc Nurseries

• Kindred Nurseries

• MiChild Group

• LEYF

• RAFA Kidz

• Rosedene Nurseries

• Seymour House Day Nursery Schools

• Storal

NURSERY GROUP (LARGE)

SPONSORED BY CHRISTIE & CO

• Bright Horizons

• Bright Stars Nursery Group

• Family First Nurseries

• Grandir UK

• Kids Planet Day Nurseries

• Partou Childcare

NEW NURSERY OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

IMPACT FUTURES

• Apple Blossom Nursery

• Ashbourne Day Nurseries

at Houghton Regis

• Enchanted Lands Day Nursery

• Little Adventures Nursery Stirchley

• Kido Bethnal Green

• Naturally Learning Redruth

• Precious Times Day Nursery

NURSERY OUTDOOR

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY HOPE

• Bardykes Farm Nursery School

• The Cheshire Day Nursery Winwick,

Bright Stars Nursery Group

• Muddy Boots at the

Farm, iStep Learning

• Meadow Lane Children’s Nursery

• The Old Forge Day Nursery, The

Den Nursery Group

• Outdoor Owls

• Partou Bumpkins

• Scallywags Nursery Hornchurch

• The Sunflower Childrens Centre

• Young Friends Kindergarten

DEPUTY NURSERY

MANAGER OF

THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

CC NURSERIES GROUP

• Amy Rowen, My Ohana York Nursery

• Carla Jacobs, Naturally

Learning Blackwater

• Charlotte Hodge, Storal

• Charlotte Spencer, Nursery On The

Green, Family First Nurseries

• Diane Woodcock, Ashbourne Day

Nurseries Sandbach

• Elizabeth Alderton, The

Southwater Day Nursery & Pre-

School, iStep Learning

• Kirsty Johnston, The Old Station

Nursery Bromsgrove

• Rachael Emery, Beeches Park Day

Nursery, The Den Nursery Group

• Sophie Forrester, Echoes Day


• Safia Abdullahi, Monkey Puzzle

Enfield Day Nursery and Preschool

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

SPONSORED BY

ISTEP LEARNING

To be announced on the night

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

FAMILY FIRST

• Bianca Pascu, Enchanted

Lands Day Nursery

• Danielle Moran-Tomkins, Dicky Birds

Day Nursery & Preschool, Grandir UK

• Hannah Gibbons-Brown, The Old

Station Nursery Iver

• Jay Scarisbrick, Cherry Tree


• Laura Rushby, Rand Farm Park

Day Nursery & Pre-School,

Farm Day Nurseries

• Oyindamola Akinlotan, Highfield


• Phoebe Veness, Townsend

Montessori The Grange, The Old


SUPPLIER OF

THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

BRIGHT STARS

• Training & Learning

• CareTutor

• Hawk Training Management

• Kidslingo

• MBK Early Years

• Mini Lingos

• Parenta Training

• Realise Learning & Employment

EQUIPMENT & SERVICES

• Community Playthings

• Chequered Fox

• Cosy Direct

• Green Bottoms

• Hope

• Mangotree Kids

• Millhouse

• Zebedees

OUTSTANDING

CONTRIBUTION

OF AN INDIVIDUAL

SPONSORED BY BUSY BEES

To be announced on the night


AUDE Decarbonisation Guide | June 2024

Image:

George Green Library

©Arup

Image:

George Green Library,

University of Nottingham

©Arup

Environmental

Support for universities

A new tool is helping higher education estates professionals to meet net zero carbon targets

The Association of University

Directors of Estates (AUDE)

has published a new tool to help

higher education (HE) property managers

decarbonise their sites.

AUDE’s A Guide to Decarbonisation was

commissioned from Arup and will help

estates managers prioritise between the

options available to deliver decarbonisation

strategies more cost effectively.

Andy Nolan, chair of AUDE’s

sustainability advisory group, said:

“Every member university knows that

decarbonisation of the estate sits high on

the institutional task list, but it can seem

daunting in terms of both cost and process.

“Where do we start? How do we finance

the multiple sub projects involved, and

schedule them into a coherent plan of

action that aligns with corporate strategy?

“And how do we prioritise between the

options available to us and consider our

own unique position as universities in the

decisions we make?”

ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY DIRECTORS OF ESTATES

A Guide to Decarbonisation

Intended to help you navigate your

way through decarbonising your

operations by optimising and

specifying a decarbonisation plan

that will have real-world impact on

emissions.

1

SUPPORT FOR ALL

“We know that universities are at different

stages of maturity in their thinking on this

issue and the guide will support members,

whether their planning is at a ‘foundation’

level, or at a point where enhanced plans are

needed, where the thinking is far enough

evolved that real questions of detail can be

considered and the workings of corporate

planning are ever more robust.”

The guidance was collated in

conjunction with the British Universities

Finance Directors Group, the Higher

Education Strategic Planners Association,

and the Alliance for Sustainability

Leadership in Education.

Nolan said: “With practical advice and

specifications, it draws on the expertise of

our members and partners in supporting

you in this fundamental activity.

“If you are about to procure consultancy

advice for a decarbonisation plan, read the

guide first — it will help you ensure you get

an output that is bespoke and targeted to

what you need and avoid the pitfalls that

others have faced.”

TIME AND ENERGY

Andy Sheppard, associate director and

project lead for Arup, added: “Developing

a decarbonisation plan takes resources,

time, commitment, and emotional energy.

But a plan is not the end point — it

should fire the starting gun for everincreasing

momentum.

“Only by implementing a plan and


Environmental

Reduce the Estate’s total energy consumption by

rationalisation and improving building utilisation.

Reduce building energy consumption by improving

building fabric and energy efficiency.

Transition away from fossil fuels to decarbonise

heat energy.

Decarbonise electricity by either renewable energy

generation or buying a high quality zero carbon PPA.

Offset residual emissions by purchasing

responsible and robust carbon credits.

creating real-world emissions reductions will we slow

climate breakdown.

“In our experience, barriers to decarbonisation are

very rarely technical. This is reflected in this guide by

the constant reference to internal collaboration and the

need to reach outside the estates department.

“A plan that stretches across an institution can

uncover or highlight existing wider barriers. Focusing

on these barriers in a positive way, rather than wishing

they didn’t exist, is the only way create real progress.”

The launch of the new tool follows publication

of AUDE’s Cost of Net Zero Report which was

launched in July 2023.

RISING COSTS

It looked at the costs of reaching net zero across scopes

1, 2 and 3 for the UK higher and further education

sector and it estimated the total cost to transition to

net zero as £43.8bn, comprising £37.1bn for higher

education and £6.7bn for further education sites.

The new report states that decarbonisation plans are

a 10-20-year undertaking and as such must be forward

thinking and co created with a panel of stakeholders,

with senior leadership approval and sign off.

It states: “A decarbonisation plan is only as good as its

implementation.

“Past plans have, at times, been created in isolation and

then struggled to influence an institution’s investment.

“They sometimes did not integrate well with existing

aims, constraints, and ways of working. This can leave

them to be seen as an inconvenience rather than a

vehicle to enable progress and success.”

SUCCESS STORIES

The report also provides case studies where universities

have implemented effective plans.

These include the University of Liverpool, where

the facilities, residential, and commercial services

(FRCS) department has embarked on an ambitious

journey to embed sustainability across all its built

environment projects.

The Sustainable Built Environment Investment

Framework (SBEIF), developed in collaboration

with Arup, is now in its implementation phase,

driving change across sustainable design, governance,

performance reporting, and procurement.

The project, which began in 2022 and has progressed

A breakdown of 2020-21 sector-wide emissions across. ©The Royal Anniversary Trust 3

Estates masterplan- actions/recommendations to drive decarbonisation

Potential factors

Changing demand for

various faculties and/or

facilities

Temporary works and

decant strategy

Changing relationship

with wider locality

Development of public

realm

Transport connectivity

modal shift

Increasing emphasis of

sustainability in all

subjects’ curricula

Adaptation/resilience to

a changing climate

Student expectations

Actions/ recommendations

Long-term planning for changing demand can lead to

efficiencies in the estate (and therefore in carbon) by

informing required space flexibility needs that create

buildings that change with the university instead of needing

refurbishment.

Prioritise the consideration of decant space to maximise use

of existing spaces with early planning and aligning the

programmes across all decarbonisation (and other) works.

An aspiration to increase links with the local town or city is

common. An additional level of informal assessment can

consider a wider urban boundary as opposed to universitycentred

one to increase real-world impact.

Decarbonisation should influence wider public realm works

to create a climate resilient environment which supports

climate change mitigation through nature-based solutions

and enhances student experience.

Prioritise sustainable transport solutions to support Scope

3 emissions reduction from commuting. Ensure Estates

Masterplan enables sustainable transport network

upgrades as transport patterns gradually change.

A decarbonisation plan has the potential to form a valuable

learning resource and the use of the estate as a Living Lab to

allow cutting-edge yet practical research to be carried out.

Build in the expectations of the impacts of a changing

climate over decades into your planning and the

specification of upgrades.

Universities are in the business of attracting students.

‘Attractiveness’ can be a key metric pulling together many

disparate elements to ensure trends are towards

improvements.

throughout 2023-24, is a testament to the power of collaboration.

It convenes an extensive set of teams, roles, and stakeholders to drive fullscale

change in how the university delivers projects across its campuses.

And it is actively contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by:

• Integrating less carbon-intensive construction design, materials, and

practices into estate developments

• Securing ring-fenced investment to mitigate against value engineering

• Applying the framework to brand new projects in 2024 to put the newlydeveloped

work methods to the test

Efforts by the University of Hull are also highlighted.

Faced with challenges in financing decarbonisation plans due to competing

priorities, long payback periods, and budget constraints; the university has:

• Aligned decarbonisation with strategic priorities via a 10-year

sustainability strategy

• Secured £86m in dedicated green bond financing

• Developed tailored business cases beyond simple payback and Net Present

Value (NPV) metrics

• Fostered cross-functional collaboration to embed decarbonisation across

the institution n


Environmental

Green funding

model supports

schools in net zero

carbon drive

Ashden and The Green Finance Institute are

working on an innovative funding model to help fill

the £2bn-a-year funding gap facing schools.

Energy-efficient, climate-resilient

schools sit at the intersection of

two of Labour’s five missions for

the new government: transforming the

UK into a clean energy superpower and

breaking down barriers to opportunity

for every child.

And this supports the call for a missionoriented

innovation policy from Mariana

Mazzucato — professor in the economics of

innovation and public value at University

College London.

Education buildings in the UK

currently represent a substantial portion

of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions,

contributing 37% of total public sector

building emissions.

And, according to the Department for

Education (DfE), the energy expenditure

associated with these buildings amounted

to £1.8bn in 2023.

Decarbonising schools can, therefore,

play a critical role in reducing costs from

energy expenditure which can be reinvested

into educating students.

Ashden has now partnered with

The Green Finance Institute (GFI) to

support UK schools to achieve net-zero

emissions by 2030.

Ashden is a leading climate solutions

charity accelerating transformative climate

solutions in the UK, with a particular focus

on sustainable energy and development.

By leveraging the combined strengths

of the GFI and Ashden, the joint

‘Innovative Financing’ project aims to

accelerate the transition to zero-carbon

school environments.

THE NEED FOR PRIVATE

INVESTMENT

“Financing education buildings is a highlycomplex

environment — even without the

added challenge of a £2bn-a-year funding

gap to decarbonise them,” said a spokesman.

“Schools are funded directly by the

Government, to cover the cost of delivering

education and maintain schools, and

different types of schools receive funding in

different ways.

“They also face borrowing restrictions,

preventing them from accessing

repayable finance.

“And this is compounded by the reality

that they are already facing significant

funding and resource constraints,

and in most instances won’t have the

expertise to work with third parties to

access alternative forms of finance in this

complicated environment.

“The confluence of these various elements

means the ways in which schools could

pay for decarbonisation is limited, and

due to focuses elsewhere, is not top of the

priority list.”

But private finance could play a

significant role in filling this finance gap, if

done in an appropriate way, according to

the partnership.

“Altering the landscape to enable private

investment could be pivotal, but can’t be

at the expense of investing in education

or paying teaching and maintenance

staff appropriately to ensure that

student education remains the priority,”

said the spokesman.

As part of the collaboration, Ashden and

The GFI have developed a series of initial

recommendations to assist schools on their

decarbonisation journey. These include:

• Calling on the UK Government to

remove legislative barriers and clear up

the policy on borrowing for schools,

creating an appropriate, enabling

environment for repayable finance

• An impartial, quality-controlled

technical advice service to

work in tandem with funding,

allowing for schools to deliver

decarbonisation effectively

These could enable schools to move forward

quickly and with confidence on simple, lowrisk,

high-impact decarbonisation measures

such as building management controls,

LED lighting, and rooftop solar PV.

Energy savings from these measures

could then be reinvested alongside building

confidence and trust in the supply chain.

“Despite a complex environment,

schools could be a beacon of public

sector decarbonisation if private finance

can be mobilised appropriately,” said

the spokesman.

“Offering long-term potential for public

sector savings, and the opportunity to

boost the resilience of schools to a changing

climate — decarbonising schools has a

significant role to play in delivering the

Government’s missions to transform the

UK into a clean energy superpower and

break down barriers to opportunity for

every child.” n


Environmental

WHY BE ECO FRIENDLY?

A spokesperson for Grandir UK said

parents were increasingly choosing

their children’s nurseries based on their

sustainability credentials, adding: “An

eco-friendly nursery school is a school

that reduces its environmental impact and

promotes sustainability.

“Encouraging young children to care

for the environment can influence the

way future generations will

live on our planet.

“Nurseries that are modelled on social,

environmental, and financial sustainability

are becoming increasingly popular in the

UK and this is because parents are keen to

educate their children from an early age

on the importance of sustainability and

help them develop a respect for all life —

human, animal, or plant.”

Empowering the

next generation

Here, we look at why one early years provider

is helping to encourage the next generation to

be more aware of the environment and how it is

championing sustainability within its nurseries

Sustainability and eco-friendly design

are crucial to early years settings as

we educate the youngest members

of the community on the importance of

protecting the planet for future generations.

And nursery operator, Grandir UK, is

leading the way with a commitment to

the promoting sustainability across all

its sites, including the creation of forest

schools and education programmes which

embody eco action.

Its Sow and Grow module, for example,

encourages children to spend time

outdoors, learn how to grow various plants

and produce, and experience the wonder of

nature while at the nurseries.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Last month Kiddie Cary Day Nursery and

Preschool in Redhill, Surrey, achieved the

prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag Award, a

seven-step framework that empowers young

people to make a real difference in their

school, local community, and beyond.

To gain the accolade, children took part

in many eco committee meetings and

shared their input into how they would like

to implement eco-friendly action.

The staff and children also put in time

and effort to create a nursery garden which

ensures that education is centred around

taking care of nature and the environment.

And growing plants and produce in their

garden provides a calming activity that can

bring benefits to the children’s mental health.

It also teaches them responsibility and the

importance of looking after something

on a regular basis; and the act of digging,

watering, and planting can help develop fine

motor skills to help them prepare for school.

HOW GREEN ARE YOU?

Grandir UK has put together a list of

things to take into consideration when

trying to understand how green and

sustainable a nursery is:

• Is the nursery teaching children about

eco-friendly activities, protecting our

environment and sustainability

including topics such as renewable

energy, fossil fuels, endangered

species, global warming, and

climate education?

• Is the nursery reducing its impact on

the planet’s resources by reducing

plastic waste, consumption of energy,

air pollution, water, paper, and

toxic chemicals?

• Is the nursery recycling

and reusing items?

• Is the nursery educating not only the

children, but parents and the wider

community about sustainability?

Outdoor green space and environmental

awards, such as Green Flag accreditation,

will also help parents to choose nurseries

that will help their children learn the

importance of caring for the environment.

The spokesperson said: “A moresustainable

planet is possible if the next

generation is educated.

“Young children can grow up with an

understanding of how to look after the

planet and can, in turn, influence their

parents and others.

“And children and parents can learn a lot

about sustainability from nurseries.

“Nurseries can influence their staff,

parents, and children, too.

“Nurseries are caring for a future

generation and whatever actions nursery

providers take can leave a footprint that

impacts on the world children grow up into.

That’s why sustainability matters.” n


Environmental

White City school launches first

community solar scheme

White City residents will soon be able to invest in Jack

Tizard School’s solar future and earn returns

Want to own a piece of the sun? A White

City school is doing just that after flipping

the switch on Hammersmith and Fulham

Council’s first community solar scheme.

More than 270 solar panels are now

harvesting sunshine from the roof of Jack

Tizard School in South Africa Road.

The £110,000 project — led by

Hammersmith & Fulham Community

Energy — will generate clean, green

electricity to power more than a third of the

school’s needs.

The move is expected to save the school

around £2,000 a year on energy bills.

“We were really excited that, not only could

we save some money on our energy bills,

which we could then spend on our children,

but also that it would support people in the

local community as well,” said Francesca

Smith, the school’s headteacher.

The school — which is rated

‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted — supports local

pupils with a range of severe learning

difficulties, aged 2-19.

SOLAR STAKES FOR SALE

What is unique with this project is that it

is an innovative community ownership

model, giving residents the chance to invest

upwards of £50 in the solar installation and

earn a return.

“The panels will, in time, be owned by

the community,” said Wilf MacDonald-

Brown, director at Hammersmith & Fulham

Community Energy.

“Members of the community will

essentially have a stake in the mini power

station on the roof of the school.”

It means that the bill-busting installation

will not cost the school or the council

a penny — while also generating up to

£20,000 to benefit local community projects.

“We will create a community fund

to distribute to as many causes within

the community as we can,” said

MacDonald-Brown.

“It’s a tried-and-tested approach.”

Interested investors can join the H&F

Community Energy mailing list to be the first

to know when the offer opens in early 2025.

AN ENERGY REVOLUTION

The energy cooperative — kickstarted with

financial support from H&F’s Climate Action

Microgrants — will maintain the panels

throughout the 20-year project.

After this period, the panels will be donated

to the school, with an expected additional

lifespan of 5-10 years.

H&F Community Energy is currently

assessing four further community sites for

potential solar installations, which could

generate up to 755 kWp — enough to power

300 London homes.

Galston school revamp wins green certification

St Sophia’s Primary School in Galston,

East Ayrshire, is set to become the first

EnerPHit-certified school in the UK.

EnerPHit refurbishment transforms the

energy efficiency of an existing building,

working within the existing footprint

and structure.

Undertaking a deep retrofit to an EnerPHit

standard also provides the opportunity to

rationalise and improve the layout of the

existing building to ensure this is fit for

modern learning environments.

And pupils from P5 and P6 recently visited

the school to view the progress taking place

and learn how they will benefit from this

innovative refurbishment.

Councillor Elaine Cowan, Cabinet

spokesperson for education and children

and young people at East Ayrshire Council,

joined pupils and the school’s depute

headteacher at the site for a project update

from main contractor, Flemings, and the

design and delivery team from Property

and Facility Management, which is

managing the project.

Councillor Cowan said: “The project is

progressing well, with foundations and

underbuilding completed for the new

extension, steel sections for the new twostorey

extension completed, and internal

plasterwork ongoing within the main hall,

kitchen, and main corridor area.

“You can really see the school

taking shape now.

“While this project is undoubtedly

innovative, it is, first and foremost, an

investment in the children and young people

of the Irvine Valley.

“As a council we are committed to

ensuring that all our children and young

people have the best-possible start in life

and have the opportunity to learn in an

environment that matches the hopes and

aspirations of the school community.”

The project, which has a total capital

budget of £5.8m, is being delivered as

part of the second phase of the Scottish

Government’s Learning Estate Investment

Programme and is receiving total grant

funding support of approximately £4.3m

over a 25-year period.

The building has been designed by

Hamson Barron Smith.


9 October

IET London: Savoy Place

Exclusively for headteachers,

bursars and senior

management

REGISTER NOW

independentschoolmanagement.co.uk

Confirmed Speakers

Sir Anthony Seldon

Keynote Speaker

David Woodgate

CEO of Independent Schools’

Bursars Association

“Remodelling your school

business”

Kristine Scott

Harrison Clark Rickerby

“Go Commercial! The

benefits of ditching

charitable status and how

to go about it”

Daniel Cohen

MTM Consulting

“Admissions: how to get it

right & strategies to

attract more parents”

Durell Barnes

The implementation of the

Independent Schools

Inspectorate's new inspection

framework, highlighting what

to watch out for

Carolyn Reed

Reed Brand Communications

“Engaging with parents

more effectively”

Education Property Issue 05 October-November 2024

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