The impressive Balloch school campus development above will need to be one of many if targets for the coming years are to be met. It is expected that the total number of primary and secondary pupils in the UK will increase by 729,000 by 2020. This equates to over 24,000 extra classrooms in 1,744 primary schools and 378 secondary schools.
Oversubscribed schools are becoming an increasingly common issue, with classes getting larger and academic performance often suffering as a result. With the amount of money being poured into infrastructure projects such as the HS2 rail development, the government could face criticism if this demand for investment in education is not met. With birth rates fairly stable in recent years, the demand is expected to continue to grow.
Morgan Sindall has broken begun construction of a purpose-built £15.3 million education campus in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire. Representatives of Morgan Sindall and West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) attended a turf cutting ceremony, along with staff and pupils.
The design and build contract was awarded to Morgan Sindall by the council, through the LHC Schools & Community Buildings Framework.
Three existing schools will come together on the site of St Kessog’s Primary School, which was recently demolished to make way for the new campus. Once it is up and running, the new centre is expected to cater for 747 pupils. This is, of course, a drop in the ocean compared to what is required in the coming years; the additional facilities would require around 2 schools per day being completed until 2020. Whether this is a realistic objective or not, it does present an excellent opportunity for Morgan Sindall and similar contractors who specialise in the education sector.
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