London South East Academies Trust

London South East Academies Trust – Horizons Academy

forward-thinking contingency plan sees students benefit from an improved learning environment

FFT was commissioned to act as Principal Designer and Contract Administrator to oversee the replacement of the roofing system at Horizons Academy in Bexley, part of the London South East Academies Trust family of schools.

Despite unexpected delays to vital components, and thanks to forward thinking and an advance contingency plan, the project completed successfully, and students are now enjoying a more
comfortable learning environment, whilst the school benefits from energy savings.

the client

London South East Academies Trust is a family of schools that’s committed to raising attainment, encouraging aspiration and supporting social mobility throughout a young person’s educational journey.

services provided

  • Principal Designer
  • Contract Administrator

the project

Horizons Academy Bexley is one of the schools within the London South East Academies family.

The school provides high quality education and support for 117 pupils in Key Stages 1-4, who have been permanently excluded or are at risk of permanent exclusion from their mainstream school.

The school was in need of a replacement flat roof, as well as new rooflights.

our role

FFT was appointed as Principal Designer and Contract Administrator, taking on the role of ensuring compliance with all statutory requirements for the duration of the project, including health and safety and fire safety.

Part of our role also included ensuring the roofing replacement met Building Regulations.

the challenges

The biggest challenge was ensuring the extensive project was completed within the summer holiday break so as not to cause disruption to the curriculum.

the outcome

In order to stay on track time wise, we ordered the key items necessary for the project early on so as to allow maximum time for delivery.

A contingency plan for completion within the October half term break was also put in place should the items not be delivered on time.

This contingency plan proved beneficial, as due to the unexpected extended lead time for the rooflights, it became necessary to postpone completion until the half term. Budgets, however, remained unaffected.

added value

With the school’s roofing system replaced and therefore improved in terms of thermal performance, the students are able to enjoy a more comfortable learning environment, and the school will also draw advantage from energy savings, as well as a much-reduced risk of water ingress and damp.