Ramdsen Hall was delivered by the main contractor for the Department for Education (DfE), and is managed by the Multi-Academy Trust, Parallel Learning Trust. The school works with up to 100 secondary-age and Year 6 male students who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) for Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.

Works included the construction of a brand new three-storey residential block which will provide beds for 40 students, bolstering the academy’s ability to develop the pupil’s independent living skills. Externally, a therapeutic sensory garden space has been created, with a mix of plants and trees that promote biodiversity and create an inspiring environment for the students to work, socialise, relax, and feel safe.

The three new modular school buildings are located at: Colne Community School & College in Brightlingsea, Colchester; Clacton County High School in Clacton-on-Sea; and Sweyne Park School in Rayleigh. The comprehensive upgrades were awarded to Morgan Sindall Construction by the council under the ECF2 Framework and amount to £9.5 million.

Prefabricated modular units, manufactured by Eco Modular Buildings, were used throughout each project to ensure that the work was delivered quickly, efficiently and to a high standard while minimising disruption to the live school sites. The modern methods of construction (MMC) approach that Morgan Sindall Construction implemented was a key part of these school buildings being able to achieve net zero carbon in operation, which was a first for the county.

Clacton County High School, a £3.5m expansion project, was the only one of the three that wasn’t entirely modular. A hybrid approach was employed instead in which modular class bases were combined with a traditional steel frame. This was required to achieve the necessary spans for the hall and illustrates how the two methods, traditional and modular, can be effectively used together.

Peter Whitmore, Managing Director for Morgan Sindall Construction’s East region, said: “These three projects represent an exciting new approach to growing our schools in order to meet a rapidly increasing pupil population while simultaneously achieving a very high standard of sustainability, efficiency and quality.”