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At capacity? How schools can use modular buildings to plan for the year ahead

Ahead of every school year, capacity planning forms an essential part of making sure that buildings onsite can safely accommodate incoming pupils. However, for many schools, estates are under increasing pressure from rising pupil numbers that unfortunately leaves existing facilities stretched and, in some cases, no longer fit for purpose.

Additionally, as work linked to the Department for Education’s (DfE) School Rebuilding Programme takes place across the country, some schools are temporarily losing parts of their estate due to refurbishment or demolition, meaning additional space may be needed quickly and often at short notice. Schools may not realise how short of space they are until term begins, placing them under pressure to find a solution that is not only cost-effective and quick, but more importantly avoids disrupting students’ education.

Traditional construction methods usually involve lengthy processes, high labour costs and extended timelines. This is where modular buildings come into their element, providing the ideal space solution for schools as they offer a flexible, cost-effective alternative to bricks-and-mortar construction.

Let’s take a look at how schools can use modular buildings as part of their capacity planning for the year ahead.

Accommodating changing needs with flexibility

We understand that identifying a school’s capacity needs before the year starts isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. For example, roll growth can be uneven across year groups, and increasing SEND demand means bespoke educational facilities are needed rather than simply adding more general classrooms.

To address this, school estate managers can explore scalable options that support both immediate pressures as well as longer-term estate plans. Modular buildings provide the flexibility that modern schools need, helping to ease the pressure of uncertain capacity forecasting while ensuring space can be customised over time whilst retaining its high quality.

Following the start of a major redevelopment project as part of the DfE’s School Rebuilding Programme, King’s Academy Bay House in Gosport needed a temporary large-scale classroom block for students and staff to use during term time. One of the benefits of modular building for the school was that as ongoing construction takes place, the spaces can be reconfigured and converted from design and technology spaces into science labs, for example. This innovative adaptability readily accommodates evolving teaching needs throughout the two and a half years that the temporary facility is onsite.

Keeping disruption to a minimum

Schools are live sites for the majority of the year, adding another layer of complexity to any forward planning. Usually building work can only take place in short windows of opportunity, such as in the school holidays. Because our modular buildings are manufactured off site, the majority of construction activity takes place away from the school, significantly reducing onsite disruption and making planning around term-time much easier. Our market-leading offsite capabilities mean that in a matter of weeks, new classrooms, admin offices and more can be installed in the existing site with very little disruption.

For instance, Southglade Primary School, in Nottingham, is located in a residential area and required careful planning when delivering its temporary classroom space to avoid disturbances during critical school hours. The delivery site had narrow access so needed an organised approach to construction, ensuring smooth collaboration with groundworkers and safety measures that included erecting fencing and hoardings. Despite the space challenges, the modular school was successfully installed within just five days.

Managing budgets and procurement

For most schools, budget remains one of the biggest barriers to delivering additional capacity. With both capital and revenue budgets under increasing pressure, building solutions need to be fundable through existing frameworks, and deliver value over the whole life of the building – not just the lowest upfront cost. This is where modular construction can make a real difference.

Offsite manufacture means programmes are much shorter and more controlled, helping to reduce labour costs and provide greater cost certainty. There is flexibility in how modular projects are funded too. Schools can choose to purchase a modular facility outright or use longer-term rental models that spread costs across operating budgets, easing pressure on finances.

When is the best time to explore modular building solutions for capacity? Usually, the earlier the better. However our modular solutions mean that we can manufacture classrooms quickly and deliver in a matter of weeks should you need extra capacity unexpectedly.

Click here to learn more about our rental solutions for education, or contact our team today.