Thomas Barnes Primary School is an historic primary school originally dating back to the 1700’s. When a mobile classroom was nearing the end of its useful life, there was a requirement for a replacement classroom to provide new teaching accommodation and additional staff office space.
Fords of Blythe Bridge was chosen as principal contractor for the works was because of the company’s experience of carrying out heritage work within conservation areas and areas of important architectural and historical consideration.
Fords designed and built a timber-framed extension to the main building, with a traditional truss and tiled roof and a reclaimed brick skin carefully matched in size and colour to blend in seamlessly with the main school building. Internally, the extended school building features a staff office/ meeting room, a new class base for nursery use, and additional nursery toilet facilities.
Externally, Fords of Blythe Bridge also carried out all related landscaping and groundworks, including new steps and handrails, additional fencing to form an external play area, tarmac resurfacing works and additional wooden fencing to the school’s garden and nature area, which also received a makeover during the construction works.
Both Staffordshire County Council and the school are incredibly pleased with the end result, both with the quality of finish internally and the improvement in accommodation that the building now provides for the school, but also with the heritage style build, and how well the new extension blends in with the existing main school building, helping to preserve the important historical character of this rural village school.
The school were also very pleased with the way access and health &safety was managed on site throughout the project, which was a key concern. Fords of Blythe Bridge has 50 years’ experience of working on school sites, and access and site security were carefully managed throughout term-time operations, to minimise disruption, with site supervisors working closely with staff on a daily basis to ensure a stress-free build.
