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Existing GIFA: 8,070m2

Site Area: 122,415m2/ 12.24 Ha

The proposed pupil roll is to be 1547 no.

Proposed GIFA: circa 12,927 m2

Operational Timescale: Expected 2013

Part of the Federation Group A

Proposed co-location school between Spennymoor Comprehensive & Tudhoe Grange

Spennymoor Comprehensive School

Whitworth Road

Spennymoor

County Durham

DL16 7LN

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SPENNYMOOR COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL���������

Federations / School Introduction/ Aerial Photograph

Site Analysis: Spennymoor

Contextual Photographs: Spennymoor

Remodelling Proposal Layout: Spennymoor

Site Analysis: Tudhoe (Lower)

Contextual Photogrpahs: Tudhoe (Lower)

Remodelling Proposal Layout: Tudhoe (Lower)

Site Analysis: Tudhoe (Upper)

Contextual Photographs: Tudhoe (Upper)

Remodelling Proposal Layout: Tudhoe (Upper)

Existing Asset Summary

Initial Option Summary

Initial Option Site Layout

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Most of the buildings date from the 1950s, and are of steel frame constructionencased in concrete. The ground floor slabs generally include heating ducts, butthese are now redundant and are known to contain some of the original asbestospipe work insulation.

A two storey extension comprising of four general teaching classrooms, anextension to provide two specialist classrooms for food technology and textilesand a four badminton court sports hall date from the 1990s, but the sports hallchanging rooms have been adapted from those that served the original gym.

Most, if not all, of the Science laboratories have been refurbished in recent years,but the science prep room facilities are relatively poor. All areas of the schoolappear to be ICT networked.

Generally the classrooms are provided to one side of the circulation corridorsonly. This is an inefficient use of the corridors and adds to the distances betweenthe various parts of the building. The widths of the corridors are generallyacceptable although there are some bottlenecks, and there are a number ofchanges in level on the ground floor which do not have either ramped or liftalternatives.

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Generally, the overall building stock within the Durham Road site is of poorcondition and type with the majority of buildings dating back to 1904.

As expected of buildings of this type and age, energy efficiency is low, with poorthermal performance to the building fabric and a non-zonal heating system. Thesingle glazed casements exhibit water ingress and would require extensiverefurbishment.

It is acknowledged the school currently maintain the internal environment andenvelope (mainly roof areas) with a proactive phased maintenance programme inline with budgetary constraints. The internal spaces, although occupying a largefootprint provides inefficient teaching provision, both in size of room and quantity,with the remaining floor area taken by circulation space.

There is a lack of smaller cellular type accommodation for office/ meeting room typespaces. Currently, the school have converted a number of internal storerooms tooffices which understandably have issues relating to ventilation, lighting etc.

Block 3 provides poor music facilities, with practice spaces converted out ofstorerooms.

Block 4 has a poor quality external envelope consisting of render on a metalmesh/ timber frame structure, which displays evidence of impact damage.Internally, the gym and changing facilities continue to the poor quality ofaccommodation.

The Durham Road site is part of a split site with the nearby St. Charles Road(Upper) site with pupils and staff movement between sites dependant ontimetabling. It is noted the school have organised the timetable to limit movementbetween the two sites.

Consideration should be made to provide the teaching and school provision onone site and demolish the building stock on the Durham Road site.

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System build blocks that are generally of an average to poor condition. Theexternal envelope has masonry that is spalling badly, with defective bricks due tobe replaced in the coming months. Extensive ribbon type metal framed casementunits with single glazing would require upgrading. It is reported that solar gain is

Most of the general teaching classrooms are below BB98 arearecommendations. The specialist teaching areas are also undersized and thefacilities are dated, as is the gymnasium, which also has inadequate changingfacilities and storage facilities. The library is well below the recommended sizeand is in a poor location for the majority of the teaching areas, and the musicteaching facilities impact on adjacent teaching areas. The sixth form facilities arepoor and lack an alternative means of escape, and although the reception waitingarea has recently been re-provided it is a very small facility for a school of thissize.

The main hall and dining room are adequate in size but in need of refurbishment,and access to the hall stage is not DDA compliant.

There is a shortage of office accommodation for all functions and all levels, andthe staff social and study areas are inadequate.

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There is evidence of standing water/ moss to the flat roof elements to Block 1.Accommodation to the first floor have a floor to ceiling height in locations of 6m(approx) which have an impact on the heating of the space and the requirement forscaffolding during maintenance/ decoration periods. Remaining classrooms to thefirst floor are undersized for typical teaching requirements.

There are two science rooms on site with the remainder of science cover providedby the St. Charles Road site. There is no lift access to Block 1 first floor level. It isnoted that the school receives regular light community use. It was reported recentflash flooding affected the girl WC core and adjacent classroom space to thenorthwest corner of Block 1.

Pupils enter Block 1 from the rear playground via a 900mm max. wide spaceadjacent a stairwell, and congestion is evident.

The hall space is used for exams, wet break, sports, and drama and consequentlyhas an effect on the educational offer.

Block 2 provides kitchen facilities for 400+ pupils and is therefore of a suitable size,although the associated dining area is undersized. It was reported that asbestoswas present in Block 2 (and across the site to a lesser degree).

units with single glazing would require upgrading. It is reported that solar gain isan issue to some rooms on the southern facades.

The internal arrangements of blocks 1, 2, 3 provide average teaching spaces andinternal changes in level are evident (no lift provided) which will requireconsideration during any remodelling exercise. Class spaces divided byinterconnecting doors provide noise issues between rooms.

The main hall perimeter glazing was damaged during the summer due to poorsecurity to the adjacent boundary, the woodland providing poor passivesurveillance. CCTV units have been installed as a deterrent.

Year 10 & 11 pupils utilise the nearby Leisure Centre as part of the curriculumoffer. There is also a link with Bishop Auckland College for vocational teaching.

It is reported that the current heating system is not zoned.

The Initial Option Layout is primarily based on the assessment of the currentbuilding stock both in terms of condition and potential for remodelling to meet thefuture educational requirements for the school. The optioneering and layout doesnot currently acknowledge the education vision and internal arrangementrequirements for the school; workshop consultations to develop the brief willcommence post SfC2 submission and will influence and be incorporated within theOBC submission.

The following key drivers have been incorporated within the Initial Option Layout:

• The proposed landscaping strategy will provide a coherent, welcomingentrance environment, linking the existing entrance off Whitworth Road via aformalised avenue towards a central entrance plaza adjacent to the newbuild accommodation and refreshed sports hall.

• The inclusion of simple and rational external space providingunderstandable and desire line pedestrian movement routes, which isseparate to vehicular movement (where possible).

• A potential secondary entrance from the residential stock to the south eastboundary, again to provide desire line movement by pedestrians but alsolimited vehicular access for visitor/ community/ accessibility requirements.

• Alternative entrances provide potential dilution of pinch points/ conflicts andalso an out of hours seperation framework.

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MINOR REMODEL:

Not viable due to:

•Poor condition of existing building stock.

•Split site not permissible.

•Unsuitable internal arrangements to meet the education vision.

NEW BUILD OPTION:

An overall assessment of the existing secondary estate has been explored, and theviability of retention of accommodation with major remodelling has beenconsidered within Spennymoor school and Tudhoe Grange Upper school grounds.However, based on an overall affordability envelope and the condition of theexisting building stock, it is the recommendation that a predominately newbuild school with retained sports hall is provided to the Spennymoor site, toa capacity that will accept the co-location of the Tudhoe Grange pupils. TheLEP however may wish to review this strategy when considering the optionsavailable.

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Window replacement works have been carried out in recent years but the schoolstill has difficulty in maintaining a comfortable working environment due to solargain and heat loss in summer and winter respectively. There is a lift betweenground and first floor, which is sited relatively close to the reception area, but thisserves only a small part of the first floor and is not suitable for general use.

The building has a shallow floor plate which will restrict opportunities for internalremodelling to produce a cohesive layout capable of satisfying modern servicedelivery requirements. The arrangement of the accommodation in the mainschool building would also make it difficult to manage phasing to avoid schooldisruption during the works period if a remodel/refurbishment option were to bepursued for this block.

The external areas are generally good, with level playing fields and playgroundareas and good parking facilities, although there is a groundwater problem insome areas and a disused dolomite all weather pitch which is becomingovergrown. The site has good vehicular access off a relatively lightly used road,however the access junction would benefit from having improved visibility sightlines. A separate access point exists for school buses.

also an out of hours seperation framework.

• The location of the new build accommodation is within a currently unaffectedzone of land, and should eliminate the requirement for decanting ortemporary building during construction works.

• Temporary construction access off Whitworth Road could be explored toavoid conflict with the school operation during construction.

• The proposed location also has potential acoustic benefits being sitedremote to Whitworth Road whilst maximising the playing pitches footprint.

• The massing footprint for the new build accommodation is noted as twostorey, to provide a massing relationship with the residential stock to thesouthern boundary, and is arranged as two separate blocks enclosing hardand soft social courtyard space.

Moving towards the OBC submission, the layout will respond to the developedschool brief (and subsequently may depart from the Initial Option arrangement)whilst establishing the planning requirements for the site within the Letter ofComfort from the LA Planning Department.

������� ��� �� � � ����•Predominately new build school with retained sports hall within theSpennymoor site to provide accommodation to a capacity that willaccept the co-location of the Tudhoe Grange pupils�