Haveley Hey Community School

Haveley Hey Community School

Design

Haveley Hey Community School is designated for infants and juniors aged 3 to 11, operating with 415 pupils including a 60-place nursery unit. The brief stated that the school would need to be developed as a "full service school" with the idea of the school as a key location for the delivery of a range of services related to children's services, health, community welfare, and community development at the neighbourhood level.

This is consistent with school participation in a wide range of Education Action Zone initiatives to improve literacy, numeracy and educational attainment in an area which is currently well below the national average. The design aimed to address deficiencies of the existing school accommodation and site by providing new, secure, comfortable, high quality teaching spaces and community use spaces and a stimulating environment appropriate to all the building users. Particular consideration was given to meeting the aspirations of the school to enhance the educational attainment of its pupils.

Safety

Safety of the children and staff was a primary consideration throughout the school design and construction process. A high perimeter fence was used around the site. During the project a security guard was placed on site to ensure safety when the staff were not around.

Environmental Issues

The site is roughly square in shape with its sides facing northeast, southeast on Nearbrook Road, south west on Gladeside Road and northwest. It is approximately 2.3 hectares in area, with mature trees bordering the site on the northeast and southeast boundaries.

Main issues that needed careful consideration were site security, pedestrian / vehicular access, and orientation / external learning areas.

The fact that the site is situated on the junction of the two roads gives the building an important community focal point for the area. The two-storey building also gives a strong urban presence whilst allowing the entrance facing Nearbrook Road to be attractive and welcoming. The remainder of the site has been allocated for a variety of play and external educational areas that include main informal playground/hard play area, informal grassed spaces including intimate and open areas, formal games court, formal grass games pitch, habitat areas and the green route.

The external treatment of the building has expressed the simple concept of the design, whilst maintaining a regard for durability and context. External walls are predominantly architectural masonry on ground floor façade and rendered walls on first floor, punctuated by areas of coloured cladding panels and rain screens.

The oval shaped entrance foyer space is celebrated in bright blue render. Big cut out letterings and numbers in bold colours are fixed onto the external walls of both halls to create a backdrop to the external play areas.

The original concept of the area's 'garden suburb feel' has been achieved by creating a building in a park. This includes shapes, forms and a variety of materials and textures, contrasting colour rendered walls with innovative landscaped playgrounds and an amphitheatre which offers a stimulating complexity of levels and zones. The design specifically mirrored the existing widened grassed area on Nearbrook Road as the location for entrance.

Added Value

A number of areas of accommodation have been developed which have multiple use, i.e. the halls with flexible partitions in between, shared practical spaces and classrooms, library / ICT area which can be used as optional teaching spaces. Outside of school hours, the following facilities are available for use for extra-curricular activities, Breakfast Club, After School Care Facilities and for third party community use: Multi Sports / Arts Hall, Dining Hall, Kitchen, Piazza, Games Courts, Playing Field, Amphitheatre. These facilities can be accessed via the main entrance or separate community entrances at the halls location or straight from the car park. Changing rooms and toilet facilities are incorporated into these areas.

Planning Process

The school has been designed in close consultation with the Headteacher, Governors, school staff and a cross section of pupils, local and community representatives. All involved believe this intense dialogue has hugely benefited the scheme.

Total Project Cost: £5.9M

Completed: June 2007