Morgan Sindall Construction celebrates with Steel Signing at The Castle School

Morgan Sindall Construction has celebrated progress at a school project in South Gloucestershire with a steel signing ceremony.

The Castle School in Thornbury, Bristol, will see the tier one contractor expand the existing school to incorporate the Sixth Form students on the same site, with a three-story maths and science block extension.

Due to complete in June 2024, the school will modernise the science and maths facilities at the school, with a focus on provisions for Year 12 and 13.

The 56-week project was procured via the Southern Construction Framework (SCF), a public sector procurement framework. SCF is a collaboration between Devon and Hampshire County Councils that offers public sector organisations throughout London, the South East and the South West support with construction procurement.

A group of students from The Castle School along with teachers and members of the Morgan Sindall Construction team came together to see where the school’s new science and maths classrooms will be.

Students from Year 10 Design and Technology classes were taken on a hard-hat tour of the site and were able to sign their names on the steel beams that will form part of the building’s structure for future generations to discover in many years to come.

As the build continues, Morgan Sindall’s commitment to Intelligent Solutions will see the project team use innovative sustainable technologies and methods to reduce carbon emissions associated with site activity. So far, the team has already saved 12 tonnes of carbon by having an admixture added to the concrete mix design, reducing the overall embodied carbon of the material.

Photovoltaic panels on the roof will provide the school with a sustainable energy source, further contributing to the school’s decreased carbon footprint.

In addition, the Morgan Sindall team will deploy its proprietary carbon assessment tool CarboniCa throughout all construction stages. CarboniCa is an innovative carbon calculation tool that allows project teams to work with customers to estimate, manage and reduce carbon emissions through the design, construction and life cycle of a building.

Working with subcontractors, Morgan Sindall is tracking local employment to ensure that the local economy benefits from the project. For example, local construction firm Smiths provided the groundworks for the project. Morgan Sindall is also well on its way to achieving their ambitious target of a total of 196 weeks of paid training opportunities on site through apprenticeships and traineeships.

The benefits of the build extend beyond the environmental and financial into the local community, where Morgan Sindall staff have been donating time and resources to local causes.

Colleagues from the construction company have volunteered with Thornbury Community Permaculture Project (TCPP), a group which aims to increase the biodiversity of local spaces and achieve a carbon neutral Thornbury within the next ten years. With TCPP, Morgan Sindall donated a hundred pounds worth of spring bulbs to a local care home, which will provide vital pollinating plants come spring for local wildlife.

Further site visits are planned so that students can see where their new science and maths block will be, which will be followed by a trip back to the construction offices to view a 3D model of the build, and for a Q&A session with Project Manager William Corry and Site Manager Mike Anstey about career pathways into construction.

Morgan Sindall also plans to support local students who are keen to start a career in construction by offering work experience opportunities at various sites, as well as supporting schools in the surrounding areas with career related events.

Rob Williams, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said:

“It’s great to celebrate the progress made so far on this brilliant project which we hope will facilitate the next generation of construction careers, both through the building of the science and maths block itself, and through site visits and work experience opportunities for students.

“We are in regular contact with the school about the build and are enthusiastic about supporting young people with an interest in careers in construction, both while the project is underway and beyond.”