Grove Wood Primary School secured CIF funding to undertake essential roof refurbishment works across a number of the school blocks. The project addressed long‑standing water ingress, structural deterioration and severe thermal inefficiencies, all of which had escalated into health, safety and operational risks. Independent surveys confirmed that both the flat and pitched roof areas had failed and exceeded their expected life and required replacement either immediately.

The completed scheme has delivered a compliant and energy‑efficient roof designed to support the school’s long‑term sustainability goals.

The Challenge

For several years, the school had been managing persistent leaks, saturated insulation and fragile roof coverings. Condition surveys highlighted extremely brittle and unsafe surfaces, with leaks regularly reaching electrical services causing a health and safety risk, risk to life and power outage risk.

Thermal performance was also critically poor. Core samples revealed U‑values of 4.61 W/m²K, which was far from the required amount under Building Regulations. This resulted in significant heat loss, high energy bills and an unsustainable carbon footprint.

The situation escalated during Storm Darragh, when debris was blown from the roof, forcing the school to close the playground and submit an insurance claim. The incident report confirmed that debris had landed in the school playground, posing a direct risk to pupils and staff .

With multiple roof areas rated failing, the school faced increasing disruption to teaching, rising maintenance costs and the growing risk of partial closures.

Our Approach

Munday & Cramer led the project through to delivery, ensuring the CIF application was strengthened with robust technical justification. This included:

• Commissioning condition surveys and incident reports
• Collating reactive maintenance records demonstrating escalating costs and unsustainable repair cycles.
• Reviewing the school’s GEMS self‑assessment and Asset Management Plan, both of which identified the roof as a high‑risk priority for replacement.
• Ensuring full compliance with ESFA Output Specification, Building Regulations, and relevant British Standards.

Once funding was secured, we managed the project through a single phased programme to minimise disruption to the school.

The Solution

The refurbishment delivered a complete renewal of the flat and pitched roof systems, including:

• Installation of new insulation to achieve compliant U‑values of 0.18 W/m²K, improving thermal efficiency.
• Replacement of saturated insulation, defective coverings and fragile rooflights with robust, impact‑resistant polycarbonate units.
• A new 3‑layer felt waterproofing system on flat roofs, backed by a 30‑year guarantee.
• New breathable membranes, battens and roof slates to pitched areas.
• Upgraded gutters, fascias, soffits and drainage to prevent ponding and future water ingress.
• Making good all internal areas damaged by leaks.

These works directly addressed the risks identified in the surveys, including mould growth, structural deterioration and electrical hazards.

The Outcome

The completed project has transformed the performance, safety and sustainability of the school buildings. The new roof system:

• Reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions through vastly improved insulation.
• Supports the school’s long‑term sustainability strategy and compliance.
• Removes significant health and safety risks, including brittle coverings, mould and electrical hazards.
• Reduces reactive maintenance demands, freeing site staff time and budget.
• Extends the roof’s life expectancy by 50–60 years, supported by long‑term guarantees.
• Provides a more stable, comfortable learning environment for pupils and staff.

The works ensure the building is “watertight and thermally efficient with all associated health and safety risks eliminated” and will “reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions” in line with the school’s sustainability targets.