York’s Portakabin Group completes installation phase of £5.6m school contract

The York-based off-site construction specialist, Portakabin Group, has craned the final modules into position on site at Pyrford Primary School near Woking for a new £5.6m building to accommodate 480 children.

The project is replacing an existing facility, and is the first of six schools in the Surrey and Kent region being rebuilt under the Government’s Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) by the Portakabin Group in contracts worth in the region of £28m.

Each scheme is being designed in line with stringent Department for Education teaching standards to create learning environments and will be delivered using Yorkon advanced off-site construction solutions.

The structure for the new Pyrford Primary School has been manufactured off site in York using the latest modular technology. It was craned into position on site in Woking in just seven days during the school holidays.

A large 500-tonne crane was used to lift the steel building modules, weighing up to 20 tonnes, from an adjacent cricket field and over trees.

The use of off-site construction is halving the programme time for completion and occupation ready for the start of the 2016/17 academic year. The original school building will then be demolished.

Kathryn Krynicki, Head Teacher at Pyrford Primary School, said: “We were delighted and excited to return from the school holidays to see our new building already in place. This is another key milestone in the project and in the history of the school.

“Our current facilities are beyond repair so we are really looking forward to having a brand new, purpose-designed school which will transform the learning environment for our children and our staff.”

The Portakabin Group was announced as preferred bidder for six infant and primary school projects in Surrey and Kent. The contracts for the Department for Education are worth in the region of £28 million and will be completed by winter 2017.

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