Primary school that's going up in the world

WHEN education chiefs were tasked with doubling the size of an inner-city primary school, they decided to look to the skies.

In a novel approach to solving Bristol's primary school places crisis, new classrooms have been installed on the roof of the oversubscribed Hannah More Primary School in St Philip's.

Six modular classrooms have been craned onto the flat roof of the red-brick Victorian building in New Kingsley Road and will accommodate their first pupils and teachers from the start of the new school year in September.

The unique approach was adopted in order to avoid building an extension at ground level, which would have resulted in a loss of the school's much-cherished outside space.

The new classrooms will allow the school, which neighbours the rapidly expanding Dings and Temple Quay area, to accommodate 420 pupils rather than its current crop of 210 by 2015.

An army of 50 builders have been busy working seven days a week on the school's £2-million expansion since February and have three weeks left to apply finishing touches. Grey cladding will be added to the exterior of the classrooms later this week, in an attempt to ensure they blend in with the historic building rather than stand out.

Tim Smith, the Skanska construction manager leading the project, said it was the first time a rooftop expansion had been tried on a primary school in the city.

"Logistically, it's the hardest job I've ever done," he said.

"I've worked on a number of other primary schools in Bristol and this has been the most technically challenging. While we've been working, the classrooms and playground have been in use.

"We're doing very well and we have been very busy."

A new staircase has been installed in the school's hall, along with new lighting, toilets, computer cables and fire escape.

"Pupils won't believe it when they see it. Every term they've noticed some changes but most of it has been behind hoardings. They will see the most dramatic changes when they arrive for the start of term.

"The cladding will be added on Thursday – the school is beautiful and we don't want to detract from what's already here. The staircase has gone in inside the hall, which is impressive and we want to make sure it remains impressive.

"The classrooms were created off site but once you are inside, you wouldn't know it was a modular building. We got the best quality we could and didn't want the classrooms to feel like a hut.

"Bristol's building team didn't think this was achievable. It's been a lot of fun to build and been different to what we would normally do. It may now be an option for other schools."

The city council is investing £14 million to create an extra 300 reception places for September.

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