New school hall and sports facility for The Deepings School

Students needed access to a sports facility

The Deepings School in South Lincolnshire is a comprehensive school with more than 1300 students. The sudden closure of Deepings Leisure Centre left the students without access to a sports facility so the school needed to act quickly to resolve the issues this presented.

They needed somewhere to hold exams, mock exams, PE lessons, after-school sports clubs and other school events. The hall was also needed to support students studying for GCSE and BTEC sport qualifications.

The team decided to opt for a temporary building whilst working on a longer term solution

The team at Deepings, led by Lisa Goodchild, Business Manager, decided to opt for a temporary school building whilst working on a longer term solution. Having previously worked with Smart-Space at Mount Street Academy in Lincoln, another school in the Anthem Schools Trust, Deepings invited them to quote for a suitable instant building.

Smart-Space’s Jason Lynock, Sales Director, and Will Mason, Surveyor, visited Lisa. They took the time to discuss the school’s requirements, providing a variety of options. They undertook a site survey, offered design solutions and, after a successful bid process, started work immediately.

The Smart-Space team was able to advise on the best location for the building, making use of the nearby main school and its utilities. They linked the temporary building to the existing design and technology block using an overhead connection. This negated the need for additional infrastructure as the new building could easily access electrics, IT and telecomms supplies.

“The installation team were brilliant”

As the build took place during term time, it was important to the school that the crew were mindful of the health and safety issues surrounding working in an active school environment.

“The installation team were brilliant” commented Lisa. “The Site Manager, Peter Powell, was great and ensured that everything was managed perfectly. They were professional, considerate and especially accommodating during the planning process.”

Sourcing materials for the build came at a time when they were generally in short supply world-wide but, as Smart-Space operates a UK supply chain, they were able to ensure all the required elements were available to complete work within the agreed schedule.

Plenty of natural light

In addition to the main sports hall, Deepings also opted for a smaller entrance building that acts as a foyer. Invaluable during the winter, its large mats protect the hall’s floor very effectively, keeping it clean and dry. It is also useful as a reception area for congregating out of the cold weather before going into the hall area for PE lessons or exams.

“We had a heating and cooling system installed so we could maintain a consistent temperature which is particularly important during exam time. This ensures the students are comfortable” explained Lisa. “As well as the installed lighting, the building has plenty of excellent natural light due to the airy, inflatable roof design. It works really well.”

The hall floor is well prepared for the myriad sports played by the students and is strikingly marked to reflect these. The floor was supplied by a specialist floor company who Smart-Space work with often.

“We have been delighted with the building and are incredibly grateful for the service we’ve received” commented Lisa. “On the day the site teams left us we had a series of severe storms. Thankfully, the building was sturdy enough to stand up to that particular test!”