Refurbishment of Skipton Academy (Moorlands Learning Trust)

Drees & Sommer assisted the Trust in obtaining £2.7m of government funding at the point that Skipton Academy joined the Moorlands Learning Trust. This involved identifying building defects that required rectification with our first instruction being to undertake a due diligence condition survey of the school. We then assisted the Trust with negotiations with the Department for Education (DfE) resulting in substantial funding being provided to the Trust to execute the remedial works.

At that point our role expanded to a full multi-disciplinary service including a Building Surveyor acting as lead designer, Project Management, Cost Consultant, Principal Designer, M&E Engineer and Structural Engineering Services. Our role involved seeing the project through from inception to completion.

We worked in a collaborative approach with the Trust / School and DfE in order to deliver a project that offered value for money and protected the buildings form further deterioration. The design was undertaken in line with the ESFA Output Specification in terms of life expectation of materials, to ensure the long term future of the school.

The project was formally tendered in order to meet public sector procurement rules and after careful consideration MBC Building Contractors were appointed to undertake the works. The project was administered using the JCT Intermediate Form of Contract.

We worked in conjunction with the client/contractor and all other stakeholders to deliver the scheme to a high standard and the final result has significantly enhanced the student experience.

The project has protected a listed building which will service the needs of current and future pupils attending the school.