Nottinghamshire County Council identified Phoenix Infant and Nursery School as needing urgent repairs, upgrades and improvements as part of the county's School Building Improvement Programme and approached Arc Partnership to design, manage and deliver the works on its behalf.

The Nottinghamshire School Building Improvement Programme is designated funding for the delivery of projects that enhance the learning environment for pupils at schools most in need of repairs and upgrades. Projects range in scope and size, from lighting and energy efficient upgrades to drainage improvements and whole roof replacements.

Phoenix Infant and Nursery School is a two-form entry school for children aged 3 to 7, originally constructed in the 1960’s. The school comprises four separate buildings, and the roofs were prone to frequent leaking, impacting the daily operations and overall environment.

Arc Partnership, on behalf of the Council, designed, delivered and project managed the main construction works focusing on renewing roof coverings and replacing the original suspended ceilings.

The project also included replacing the original external timber doors and windows throughout, installing a new electrical lighting system in parts of the school, and new alarm systems. Further works involved installing a new heating system, Legionella prevention and fire safety improvements. Combined, the works have helped to bring the school up to modern standards and created a safer and optimal learning environment.

Working within tight site constraints and a live school environment poses many challenges and health and safety risks.

The school is located on a compact site, with very limited parking. Preventing the building works from impacting on the neighbouring residential streets with work vans and construction traffic, the school promoted car sharing amongst its staff to reduce the amount of traffic onsite. This sustainable initiative freed up onsite parking for the project team, enabling them to efficiently carry out their daily work.

To support the school in continuing its daily routine with minimal disruption to the children as they go about their lessons. Through close liaison with the school and the headteacher, our team carried out the main extensive works in critical areas during school holidays and assisted the school in moving school furniture in preparation for construction works to be carried out. This alleviated any additional pressure and concerns.

During the pre-construction phase, nesting bats were found in the roof’s temporary cladding. Working closely with ecologists, we re-phased the construction works to other parts of the school, whilst the situation was monitored. This provided three weeks for the bats to relocate, and allowed for the project to progress on schedule. Enhancing the site's ecology and supporting the bats to thrive in their natural habitat, the project team installed two bat boxes.

Successfully handed over in May 2025, Phoenix Infant and Nursery School now benefits from a fully sealed and leak-free roof. The thermal performance of the school has significantly improved with increased insulation and new double glazed windows and doors. In the school hall, the inclusion of new casement windows has increased the cross ventilation, and new ceiling acoustics have reduced reverberation, overall providing a better environment for the school.

Energy efficiency has been improved with the addition of low energy LED lights and timed absence and presence detectors to reduce the school's energy consumption.

Delivered on time and within budget, the school was able to continue teaching with minimal impact to the children. The energy and sustainable measures introduced, along with the improvements to the school's fabric, will allow the school to benefit from reduced maintenance costs and low energy bills in the future.

"We are particularly pleased with the significant improvements in ventilation, especially in the main hall and reception area, which has been greatly enhanced by the installation of new windows. This has notably increased the comfort of our learning environment." Mrs Lisa Harper, Head Teacher