Solihull Schools
The background
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council received funding from central Government to enter the national ‘Building Schools for the Future’ (BSF) programme as part of its regeneration strategy to address overcrowding, low education and attainment in schools in the ‘North of the Borough’.
In 2007 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council awarded Invesis a PFI contract to deliver four schools.
The contract was delivered in two parts, a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) to design, build, finance and facilities manage three secondary schools and a ‘traditional’ contract to design and build one further secondary school.
The schools were successfully handed over to the client in 2009 and by partnering with Invesis, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council were able to transform the educational experience of pupils by providing them with modern, stimulating and state-of-the-art environments.
Client
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Capital Value
€90m
Sponsor/Investor
Invesis
Consortium
Solihull BSF Schools Ltd
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC)
BAM Construction
Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
BAM FM
Business value
Each school has its own specialisms, challenges, and priorities. Invesis worked cohesively with the client and our partners to gain an in-depth understanding of the educational priorities and operational issues of each school. Insights were used to develop the schools’ designs to ensure that the buildings are future proof, can support the effective delivery of teaching and learning and are responsive to changes in demand for school places.
During the construction phase, minimising disruption to students learning was key as construction took place within a ‘live’ environment. Invesis alongside our partners, worked with the client to assess student’s curriculum and timescales, to establish an optimum programme for construction and school handovers.
The concession has been operational for 14 years and Invesis continues to work closely with the Authority, in conjunction with BAM FM, to deliver a range of managed services to ensure the schools are maintained to an optimum condition of appearance and performance. For example, the provision of a new air-conditioning system, replacing old and out of date equipment and classroom refurbishments.
Key features
By using the PFI model and partnering with Invesis, the project…
- was completed on time and within a tight budget
- included the appointment of 4 leading design teams to bring their own style and ideas to the collaboration and develop bespoke designs for each of the schools
