John Ray Infant School Rises From The Ashes
PUPILS and staff at an Essex school
started the term at a brand new multimillion pound facility, after their school
was devastated by fire two years ago in a
rebuild programme overseen by leading
independent management, design and
construction consultancy Pick Everard
The buildings at John Ray Infant School
in Braintree, Essex were swept through
by a fire in August 2013, just days before
the school was expected to open for the
autumn term, creating an urgent need for
temporary accommodation.
Pick Everard was appointed to ensure
temporary accommodation was secured
quickly so as to minimise disruption. The
firm conducted an initial dilapidations
survey and provided cost management
services for the enabling works to use the
vacant Takeley Primary School where
the school's 285 pupils were initially
housed - nearly 15 miles away.
Essex County Council approved
funding for a comprehensive rebuild
and expansion of the school to create
much-needed additional school places
in the area, increasing classes from three
to four per year to take pupil numbers
to around 360. Pick Everard provided
project management, cost management
and CDM services.
Gary Buick, at Pick Everard, said:
"This has been a very difficult time for
the pupils and staff at John Ray Infant
School and we are very pleased to be
handing over their brand new school
ready for the new term this September.
"Initially it was essential that appropriate
temporary accommodation was secured
to help minimise disruption. We worked
very closely with the school and the
council to get pupils into the vacant
building at the former Takeley Primary
School as a temporary solution.
"As a firm we have a great deal of
experience within the education sector,
particularly in and around Greater
London, but this project provided us
with the unique challenge of delivering
suitable accommodation on the playing
fields of the of the next door John Ray
Juniors School and Notley High School,
ensuring that they did not have to travel
nearly 15 miles to school each day.
"Time was very much of the essence
so we worked closely with the school
and the council, as well as all the other
parties involved in delivering the project,
to ensure the classroom accommodation
was delivered as soon as practicable something which was achieved in just six
weeks."
A new look John Ray Infant School will
open to staff and pupils in September. As
well as creating new places at the infant
school, the new school also includes an
expansion to the junior school and space
for 120 additional pupils.
Paul Darlow added: "We are delighted
to be able to hand over the brand new
school to the council, which will not
only provide excellent new facilities
for its staff and pupils for any years to
come but has also created space for a
number of new school places for the area
- something which is challenging local
authorities across the UK."
www.johnrayinfants.com