In the past five years Morgan Sindall Construction has created over 65,000 student places at over 170 schools and is passionate about creating better learning environments for children.
Alex Isted, Morgan Sindall Construction’s director responsible for national frameworks and partnerships, explores how the government’s Schools Rebuilding Programme can play a pivotal role not only in creating better schools, but in providing a social and economic legacy to communities across the country.
It was deeply encouraging to see the recent announcement by the Department for Education (DfE), setting out the list of the first 50 schools to benefit from £1 billion of funding under the School Rebuilding Programme announced last year, in addition to the 21 new free schools to be built.
The importance of our children’s education has never been in sharper focus, and at Morgan Sindall Construction we recognise the importance of creating great learning spaces for young people. We get to see first-hand the positive impact that creating the right environment can have, and we work with other framework contractors to share this learning across the sector.
As a leader in education construction, we have created in excess of 65,000 school places over the past five years through the construction, extension or refurbishment of over 170 new primary, secondary and SEND schools, right across the country.
Each school has been specifically designed to meet both the current and future needs of their local communities, and for us, it’s personal; many of our colleagues send their children to the local schools they have helped to build. We get to see the joy and excitement on the faces of pupils and teachers as they tour their new facilities for the first time, having often already seen the wonder and intrigue on their faces when they visited our construction site a few months before.
Whilst it’s great to see the funding coming through, the School Rebuilding Programme offers more than just the opportunity to create great learning spaces. As an industry, we have a real opportunity to leave a legacy in our local communities, extending well beyond the school gates. We believe we have a responsibility to work collaboratively as an industry to ensure we maximise the value of every pound spent in creating the very best places for our children to learn, develop and thrive.
By working alongside the DfE, local authorities and school teams, we can create significant social value and economic impact in the local communities in which we work. From engaging local supply chain partners and SMEs, to guaranteeing apprentice placements, inspiring the next generation to consider construction as a career, and by implementing local skills and employment programmes, our investment in the community is wide ranging and long-lasting.
At the same time, ensuring we minimise our environmental impact is of ever-growing importance. At Morgan Sindall Construction we do this through our engagement with local suppliers and subcontractors, designing in the use of lower carbon materials, actively removing waste from the build process, embracing standardised design solutions and utilising modern methods of construction.
It’s absolutely essential that each pound spent generates tangible economic impact and benefit to communities. It’s incumbent upon contractors such as ourselves to continue to develop innovative solutions that deliver both inspiring places and positive outcomes – not just for the schools and students, but for the benefit of our wider communities.