Morgan Sindall Construction鈥檚 Northern Home Counties business is main contractor for the 拢16.2m rebuild of Burnside Secondary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in Chingford.
The project is part of the Department for Education鈥檚 school rebuilding programme and was procured through the DFE 2021 construction framework.
Morgan Sindall is building a new teaching block and a hall and sports block, connected via a glazed link corridor. Different parts of the 1,815 sqm site will be handed over periodically during the three-phase development, starting with the teaching block in late 2026 and with final works scheduled for completion in spring 2028.
One building will contain teaching space, including six multi-purpose classrooms, specialist science laboratory, and an art & design studio. The other will have a sports hall and dining room as well as food tech and fitness rooms. External upgrades include a new multi-use games area (MUGA). Staff amenities will include a staff room, office space and general storage space.
Burnside Secondary School PRU currently has capacity for 48 pupils aged 11-16 who have been excluded from mainstream education. The school also accommodates students with education, care and health plans (ECHPs).聽
As part of the development works, the three single storey buildings will be demolished in stages alongside the construction of the new facilities to keep disruption to a minimum.
Phase one involves the demolition of the Burwood Centre and the construction of a teaching block in its place; phase two, the construction of the adjacent block; and phase three, hard and soft landscaping.聽聽
Due to the nature of the school, extra consideration has been made to the student's wellbeing and safeguarding. This involves the maintenance of privacy in play areas and minimal public interaction throughout and following construction works.
Given the school鈥檚 status as a PRU, Morgan Sindall has also tailored the design accordingly, with specially durable materials that should be harder to damage, and muted paint tones and lighting to promote calm.
Sustainable features include solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and an air source heat pump heating system to help the school achieve net-zero carbon in operation. Closed panel timber (CPT) will provide insulation.聽聽
Morgan Sindall Construction area director Emma Curtis said: 鈥淐reating sustainable, comfortable educational environments such as Burnside Secondary Pupil Referral Unit School is a clear priority for the Department for Education. We are pleased to contribute to such a fantastic initiative, allowing those who have previously struggled with mainstream education to access state-of-the-art facilities, and be presented with equal opportunities for success.
鈥淥ur team has extensive experience in creating high-end educational facilities and we look forward to collaborating closely with the Department for Education and Waltham Forest Borough Council to ensure that Burnside PRU鈥檚 new spaces are ideally suited to the school鈥檚 staff, pupils and the local community.鈥�
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