Morgan Sindall to continue leading role in shaping schools across England
Morgan Sindall Construction has been appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to the £15.4 billion framework that will deliver its vision for the next generation of buildings for schools and further education in England for the next 6-8 years.
The DfE framework, known as CF25, will be used by local authorities, academy trusts and other public sector bodies to procure main contractors for school buildings. It provides access to pre-qualified businesses who meet rigorous standards while delivering value for money and reducing procurement timescales.
The new framework is divided into two value bands - Morgan Sindall’s appointment is to both of the high value band lot, for projects over £12 million, and because of ranking highest on the procurement, have also been appointed to five of the eight low value band lots for projects between £4.5 and £12 million. The appointment further reinforces the business’s long-standing relationship with the DfE. Morgan Sindall has been a construction partner on the two previous iterations and has delivered or is in the process of completing 46 schools projects.
The DfE’s updated vision sees an evolution of the way school buildings are designed - moving from a model that was predominantly based around a single block, to schools formed around multiple blocks with more of a campus feel and separate buildings for teaching space, sports and gathering/administration.
The change reflects a desire to allow school and college estates to better support the education, health and wellbeing of all users. The intention is producing buildings that are more easily adaptable, energy efficient, climate resilient, robust and long lasting, and which enhance biodiversity and increase access to and connection with nature.
Pat Boyle, managing director of Morgan Sindall Construction said:
We are proud to be one of the UK’s leading providers of buildings for education and welcome the opportunity to support this updated vision, which sets out to provide excellent education and care outcomes in communities across the country. The objective is education estates that give young people the best possible start in life through buildings that are safe, sustainable, suitable, and sufficiently sized.
As a business we feel we have the experience, capability and financial stability to deliver against the DfE’s ambitions. We are already at the forefront of reducing the environmental impact of the construction phase of projects and have an approach based around minimising the Whole Life Carbon footprint. We also have a wealth of experience when it comes to creating education estates that are flexible to demographic changes and support education, skills, and services for children, young people, and families. These principles at the heart of what the DfE wants to see delivered in next generation designs that push what can be achieved by making the best possible choices in terms of materials, construction methods and positive impact in communities.”
The DfE has ambitious carbon reduction goals, well ahead of the UK’s overall Net Zero target of 2050. Morgan Sindall Construction shares this vision, with its own Decarbonising Communities strategy supporting the wider Morgan Sindall Group's target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. The Group’s emissions have already been reduced by 64%
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