Yorkshire firms deliver 25,000 sq ft school extension
The building, at Sheffield’s Silverdale School, was constructed by Portakabin with fellow York company Gate & Bar as designer and project manager.
The new facility has now opened and will support mainstream and special education needs, meeting an increase in demand for school places in the area
The professional team also included planner nineteen47, arboriculture advisor Jo Ryan, transport consultant Vectos and Delta Simons.
Silverdale School, in south-west Sheffield, is part of Chorus Education Trust, which in 2021 appointed Gate & Bar to explore options for additional teaching accommodation on the 210-acre site to meet the needs of a school that needs to go from around 1,200 students to 1,600, with around 30 SEN places.
Proposals for the site have previously been considered in 2016 but stalled after funding was withdrawn
Cllr Dawn Dale, chair of education, children and families at Sheffield City Council, said: “This has been a huge project and it’s very rewarding to see the opening of the new facility at Silverdale this week, which has been made possible by lots of planning ahead, excellent partnership working and hard work.
“The creation of these additional school places will make a huge difference to more Sheffield families, especially those who are more vulnerable and those who have special educational needs. We look forward to seeing children flourish and thrive in this wonderful new setting.”
Project managed by Gate and Bar and built by Portakabin, the project was designed to minimise disruption to students and the school’s neighbours.
The resulting three-storey building, which stands alongside the original school building, includes 14 new classrooms and a dedicated sixth form facility, while various facilities have been reworked as space is freed up in the existing estate.