Gable Hall Schools – New Science Labs

Key Facts:

Client Name: Gable Hall School
Location: Corringham, Essex
Type of client: Secondary Academy
Disciplines provided by M+C: Funding Application (ACMF) | Architectural Design | Building Surveying | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £440,000
Contractors: MT Build
M+C Lead: Barry Lawrence

As part of a long-term relationship with this popular, successful Secondary Academy located in Corringham, Munday + Cramer undertake a whole range of building surveying and asset management services to ensure that the property portfolio is maintained to the very highest standards. As a result of the successful management of the existing facilities, for a recent ACMF (Academies Capital Maintenance Fund – now known as CIF) round, the school were able to focus on an expansion bid to further complement the schools ongoing development.

Historically, successful expansion bids via ACMF/CIF are far harder to achieve than the more commonplace condition-related bids, receiving just 15% of the funding allocation. For this school however, we were able to illustrate an extensive case to allow for expansion of the existing science facilities to better enable single science teaching to further enhance the school’s successes within STEM. The bid was successfully funded in full by the Education Funding Authority, along with a second bid at the school in the same year

The scheme developed included for the provision of two brand new science laboratories, including a dedicated technician’s area, link-way and re-configuration of the entrance ways to existing labs. The works allowed for the complete fit-out of the new laboratories and technical areas throughout.

The scheme was fully tendered and programmed as part of the bid process, and as a result the scheme was completed with minimal disruption by contractor MT Build, despite the majority of works being undertaken during term-time over a 16-week duration post-funding.

“In bidding there appear to be many wrong ways to do it and only a few right ways. Munday + Cramer have established the right ways and recognise what will be successful even before pen is put to paper. Without the specialist support provided we would have been completely unable to recognise the technical issues that lead to our bidding success, let alone explain and document them properly”

Des Shillingford, Gable Hall School