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When delivering new educational buildings, one of the biggest challenges education providers face, is balancing speed, cost certainty and long-term planning. The Department of Education has recently set out its Education Estates Strategy that outlines a national renewal for schools and colleges to be safe, suitable, sustainable and sufficiently sized. As such, schools, trusts and local authorities are working under tight time restraints and need reliable information early to support funding or expenditure decisions for plans that support the government’s ambitions.
To address this, we have developed a standardised design for permanent double classrooms to ensure the construction process is made faster, clearer and more predictable from day one.
We consistently see two main drivers behind classroom projects. Firstly, is urgency, when pupil numbers increase unexpectedly, and additional teaching space is needed onsite quickly, and secondly is strategic planning, where schools may be anticipating future expansion and need to submit applications for funding or capital expenditure well in advance. In both cases, uncertainty around design and cost can slow everything down.
By creating a fixed, repeatable double classroom design, we’re able to remove much of the uncertainty, providing detailed layouts, specifications and firm costs, enabling schools to carry out feasibility assessments with confidence.
A fixed classroom design significantly reduces the amount of time required during the design phase. As the layout, structure and key specifications are already established, there is less need for iterative design work, approvals and revisions. This helps to shorten the overall project timeline, allowing manufacture and site preparation to begin sooner.
Cost certainty is another major benefit. With a known design, we can issue accurate and transparent pricing at an early stage, helping clients plan budgets more effectively and avoid unexpected changes later in the project.
The standardised approach also supports collaboration with other trades. Groundworkers, electricians and service contractors can be provided with precise building information, advocating for a smooth process where multiple teams can coordinate efficiently with the modular installation.
Understanding how a classroom will function in practice is critical. A standardised double classroom makes it easier for planners to visualise the space required and understand how many children the classroom will comfortably accommodate, how the room will function day to day, and how it fits within the wider school site.
This clarity is particularly helpful when presenting proposals to internal stakeholders, governors or funding bodies, as it removes ambiguities around room size, usability, and compliance.
While the design is standardised, the modular space has been developed specifically for educational use, with careful attention to ensuring comfort and optimal performance conditions.
Each classroom includes a suspended ceiling with integrated air conditioning, centrally positioned to ensure even air distribution across the room. This approach performs more effectively than wall-mounted systems and contributes to a more modern and comfortable learning environment.
Carbon dioxide monitoring is included as standard, reflecting growing awareness within the education sector of the impact indoor air quality has on concentration and wellbeing. This is an area of increasing focus and is not always provided as standard elsewhere.
The design also incorporates a compliant fire alarm system, 44mm internal doors for robustness, and carefully considered internal module heights that work in conjunction with the suspended ceiling to maintain suitable room proportions and ceiling heights.
The standardised double classroom design is already complete and ready for delivery. Buildings are manufactured to order, allowing projects to move forward without delay once requirements are confirmed.
These classrooms are designed to a permanent building specification and are intended as long-term additions to school estates, rather than temporary or rental accommodation. This suitably aligns with government targets to improve and renew school estates with modules offering a durable, high-quality solution that integrates seamlessly with existing facilities
For more information about how we ensure our permanent building facilities are delivered on time and on budget, visit our ‘Permanent’ solution page or get in touch.
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