City of London School for Girls – New Catering Facilities

City of London School for Girls (CLSG), an independent school for students aged 11-18, occupies a Grade II listed building in the Barbican. With a history dating back to 1894, the school is renowned for its blend of tradition and forward-thinking vision.

Following our successful delivery of previous project phases for the school including the science laboratory and main entrance refurbishment, our role was expanded to Lead Consultant providing Project Management, Quantity Surveying, Building Surveying, Architectural Consultancy and Building Regulations Principal Designer services for this project.

To ensure seamless execution, FFT collaboratively developed a detailed Project Execution Plan and Risk Register, enabling meticulous planning and risk mitigation throughout the project.

FFT’s coordination of stakeholders and diligent oversight of contractors through our regular presence on site and daily communication with project teams, ensured that the project remained on time, within budget, and fully aligned with the client’s vision.

FFT was appointed to manage the upgrade and refurbishment of the City of London School for Girls commercial kitchen and dining space. The project responds to the growing pupil population by modernising its facilities to meet increased demands.

The works included a full strip out and refit of the commercial kitchen and dining areas, including new state-of-the-art commercial catering equipment, new ceilings and floors, updated service routes, and modern facilities, furniture, and fixtures to create an enhanced functional space.

CLSG, a Grade II Listed Building and part of the Barbican Estate posed unique challenges for its refurbishment. Securing Listed Building Consent required early and extensive engagement with the Local Authority Planning Department, as the proposals were subject to scrutiny from the council and Barbican residents.

A key challenge was delivering the project within a strict construction schedule, with the majority of works strategically phased during summer holidays and half term to minimise disruption. Leveraging our deep understanding of CLSG from years of successful projects, we adopted a collaborative and proactive approach to meet these tight timelines.

Given the scale of the project, some works continued during term time to ensure the school remained fully operational. To mitigate disturbance, we implemented a carefully planned programme of works. Noisy tasks were confined to lunch and break times or the brief interval between lessons, ensuring the school’s day-to-day activities could proceed smoothly.

The upgraded facilities provide a modern and efficient environment for staff and students. The new catering equipment is capable of handling current demands and is scalable for future growth. The renovated space aligns perfectly with CLSG’s long-term vision for gradual modernisation while respecting the historical significance of the building.

FFT’s strong partnership with CLSG, built over years of collaboration, was instrumental in the project’s success. This allowed us to gain a deep understanding of the school’s vision for the future. Drawing on this insight, we delivered a solution that not only addressed the school’s immediate needs but also supported its ongoing development goals.

The newly refurbished catering facilities and dining area will provide a much-enhanced place for school pupils and staff, assist in replacing outdated services and bringing about the gradual modernisation of the school.

The latest kitchen equipment has been designed as such to cater for the current pupil and staff numbers but also to allow for increased capacity and pupil intake in the future. All new equipment is also only operated by electricity with all pre-existing gas served equipment removed and replaced in its entirety.

“FFT really pulled out all the stops to deliver an ambitious project, in incredibly tight timescales. They worked collaboratively with the whole project team, to deliver an incredible outcome for the school. The look and feel of the space is remarkable and has received a lot of positive feedback from building users.”