Morgan Sindall Construction begins Burnside Secondary Pupil Referral Unit regeneration

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business has started a comprehensive rebuilding project at the Burnside Secondary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in Chingford.

The business was appointed to the £16.2m regeneration by the Department for Education (DfE). The project makes up one of the department’s School Rebuilding Programme schemes and was procured through the DFE 2021 construction framework.

The rebuilding at Burnside PRU will see Morgan Sindall deliver a state-of-the-art teaching block and a hall and sports block, connected via a glazed link corridor. Different parts of the 1,815m2 site will be handed over periodically during the three-phase development, starting with the teaching block in late 2026 and with final works scheduled for completion in spring 2028.

One building will contain teaching space, including six multi-purpose classrooms, specialist science laboratory, and an art & design studio. The other will host a new sports hall and dining room as well as food tech and fitness rooms. External upgrades include a brand-new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) fit for a range of outside sports and activities. The new hall and MUGA will be accessible for the local community to use. Staff amenities will include a staff room, office space, and general storage space.

Burnside Secondary School PRU currently provides education to up to 48 pupils aged 11-16 who have previously experienced difficulties and been excluded from mainstream education. The school also accommodates students with Education, Care and Health Plans (ECHP’s).

As part of the development works, the three single storey buildings will be demolished in multiple stages alongside the construction of the new site. This approach will ensure disruption is minimised to the live school site throughout the construction.

Phase one of the multi-stage plan involves the demolition of the Burwood Centre and the construction of a teaching block in its place. Phase two, the construction of the adjacent block, and phase three, hard and soft landscaping.

Due to the specialist nature of the educational facility at Burnside Secondary PRU School, extra consideration has been made to the student's wellbeing and safeguarding. This involves the maintenance of privacy in play areas and minimal public interaction throughout and following construction works.

Given the school’s status as a PRU, Morgan Sindall has tailored the school’s design to meet the needs of the staff and pupils. This includes durable materials that will ensure reliable, long-term teaching spaces as well as muted paint tones and lighting to create a calming educational setting. Specialist facilities will also be provided throughout the project, including a library and careers space, SEN therapy room, and an ICT suite.

The flooring and stairs will be precast and transported to the site to counteract logistical constraints, while saving on materials and time as well as minimising carbon emissions by reducing traffic levels. The team will operate a plan to work around the school and local area’s busiest times.

With sustainability in mind, Morgan Sindall will provide surroundings that will not only accommodate the nearby streetscape but also enhance the school setting and improve the site’s biodiversity.

Sustainable design plans include photovoltaic (PV) panelling and an air source heat pump heating system, providing sustainable energy which will help the school achieve net-zero carbon in operation. Closed Panel Timber (CPT) will ensure optimum efficiency through insulation and reduction of on-site waste materials through modern off-site manufacture processes.

Morgan Sindall will utilise the digital carbon-tracking tool CarboniCa to inform design and construction decisions, supporting the team to create a building with a significantly lower embodied carbon footprint.

To generate social value for the local community, Morgan Sindall will engage with a nearby primary school, university, and community centre as well as offer apprenticeships and work experience opportunities.

Emma Curtis, Morgan Sindall Construction Area Director in the Northern Home Counties, said: “Creating sustainable, comfortable educational environments such as Burnside Secondary Pupil Referral Unit School is a clear priority for the Department for Education. We are pleased to contribute to such a fantastic initiative, allowing those who have previously struggled with mainstream education to access state-of-the-art facilities, and be presented with equal opportunities for success.
Our team has extensive experience in creating high-end educational facilities and we look forward to collaborating closely with the Department for Education and Waltham Forest Borough Council to ensure that Burnside PRU’s new spaces are ideally suited to the school’s staff, pupils and the local community.”