Delivering high-quality school sports facilities
At Surveyors to Education (S2e), we take pride in helping numerous schools and academies enhance their sports facilities. By offering comprehensive support with funding, design, planning and project management, we assist schools in creating modern and functional sports environments that benefit both students and the wider community.
When Welland Park Academy Community College started making plans for a new sports hall, students were obviously front of mind. Here was a fantastic opportunity to provide facilities that would inspire them to try an array of sports, help keep them healthy and play a part in improving mental health. But budget was the problem.
A state-of-the-art multi-sports facility big enough for the Leicestershire secondary’s ever-growing school roll looked like it would come in at upwards of £3m. However, by partnering with S2e, Welland Park was able to reduce costs to £1.25m.
We pulled out the stops to provide the best possible value for budget, both during the design phase and throughout a ten-month build that brought extreme heat, torrential rain and heavy snowfall – creating tough conditions on site. A further challenge was that access was difficult for heavy construction vehicles because the main road outside the academy’s small gate was one of the most congested in the busy town of Market Harborough.
We kept the budget low thanks to an innovative design process, choice of materials and technical expertise. They deployed the latest technologies using thermal resistant cladding attached to a steel framework to eliminate the costs of traditional bricks and mortar, with internal walls made of plasterboard and wood.
Providing comprehensive consultancy services from start to finish, we handled every stage of the project, including feasibility studies, architectural design, tendering, cost control, contractor selection, project management, and health and safety oversight. Construction of the facility began in July 2022 and was completed by May 2023. The project required significant materials and labour, including the excavation of 700 tonnes of earth, the installation of 50 tonnes of steel, and the pouring of 100 cubic metres of concrete to create a modern, functional sports facility.
The sports hall meets the Sport England configuration of “four badminton courts” but this is simply a standard measure of size and the space is used for a wide range of sports. While students were at the forefront of Welland Park’s thinking – and teachers report they are “absolutely buzzing” since it opened – the academy also wanted an impressive facility that would benefit the local community.
The vision has been fulfilled, with the hall booked four nights a week by community clubs for badminton, indoor netball training, basketball, athletics and trampolining. Welland Park is building its relationship with the community and also has a valuable income stream from booking fees.
Another unexpected and important benefit is that the school field used to flood badly but we incorporated flood prevention with storm drainage and an attenuation tank, and now when it rains the field drains much more quickly.
““S2e are nothing short of amazing. They are very supportive; they communicate consistently well and remove a lot of the stress of managing a big project. They have been both the designer and the school’s representative through the process and they really wanted to ensure we understood what was going on at each step of the process.””
“Working in close collaboration with school leaders is always the key to success and we are delighted to have such a strong ongoing relationship with Welland Park Academy. We overcame some significant problems on this project and it’s something we can all feel proud of.”
About Surveyors to Education
Surveyors to Education (S2e) work exclusively within the education sector, offering estate strategy, funding guidance, and surveying expertise to schools and academies. By providing trustees with detailed and reliable information, S2e enables effective decision-making for projects such as new sports halls or facility upgrades. To learn how S2e can assist with your school’s sports facilities call 0116 5070130 or email enquire@s2e.org.uk.
