The UK's #1 hire choice for temporary buildings
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Create additional capacity quickly and with minimum disruption. Large, flexible spaces designed around your school or campus needs.
Growing pupil numbers, changing curriculum requirements and ageing buildings all put additional pressure on school facilities. Relieving that pressure means creating the right space, in the right place, without unnecessary disruption to staff, students or day-to-day school life.
From temporary accommodation while existing facilities are refurbished to a specialist teaching space for practical subjects to a more permanent addition to support long-term expansion, we design spacious education buildings around how your school operates.
Every building is tailored to your requirements, creating high-quality facilities that support students, staff and the wider school community today while providing the flexibility to adapt as your needs evolve.
Rather than supplying standard portable classrooms, we specialise in clear-span buildings. Free from internal support columns, they create wide, open spaces that can be left open for sports, dining and examinations, or partitioned to create multiple classrooms, workshops, offices or staff facilities as your requirements change.
Purpose-built spaces for practical subjects such as construction, engineering, motor vehicle studies and other vocational courses.
Practical dining facilities increase capacity during busy lunch periods and reduce pressure on existing buildings.
Dedicated examination spaces allow assessments to take place without disrupting the rest of the school.
Flexible environments for assemblies, drama, music, performances, presentations and other school events.
Modern offices, meeting rooms, welfare facilities and administration spaces that support teachers and the rest of the school team.
Large-span education sports buildings, including sports halls and pitch covers, that can be used for PE, competitions and community hire.
In detail
Whether you're replacing ageing buildings, responding to RAAC, or carrying out a phased redevelopment, education doesn’t stop.
Smart-Space provides temporary school buildings that allow campuses to continue running as normally as possible while work is carried out. Once the project is complete, buildings can be removed, or relocated and repurposed to provide valuable additional facilities elsewhere on site.
We've supported projects of all sizes, working directly with independent schools, academy trusts and colleges, as well as alongside principal contractors delivering Department for Education projects across the UK. That experience means we understand the practical realities of working on live school sites and how important it is to keep projects safe, well-managed and running smoothly.
Unexpected events can leave schools needing additional space at very short notice.
Whether it's fire, flooding or structural damage, the priority is keeping education moving and getting students back into safe, comfortable accommodation as quickly as possible.
Smart-Space provides high-quality temporary education buildings that can be installed in as little as seven days, supporting your school while repairs or rebuilding work takes place.
When an arson attack destroyed Sherburn High School's sports hall, the school needed a replacement facility as quickly as possible to minimise disruption for more than 750 students.
Working alongside the school, North Yorkshire County Council, insurers and multiple contractors, Smart-Space installed a fully equipped temporary sports hall during the summer holidays. The build was completed in just five days, allowing PE lessons, gymnastics, table tennis and other sporting activities to take place while plans for a permanent replacement progressed.
The facility included a full-size sports hall, changing rooms and a teacher's office, creating a light and airy environment that felt anything but temporary. Here’s more about how we helped Sherburn High School keep PE lessons running.
Creating additional school facilities often means balancing immediate needs with limited capital budgets. That's why we offer flexible rental options that make it easier to expand your facilities without the high upfront cost of buying outright.
Every school has different funding arrangements and procurement requirements. Having worked with independent schools, academy trusts and colleges across the UK, our team can explain the options available and help you identify the best one for your project.
Need advice on funding your project? Speak to our experts.
One of the first questions schools ask is whether they need planning permission.
Usually, buildings that remain on a school site for more than 28 days will require planning permission and Building Regulations approval. The building's location can also affect the process; for example, structures on playing fields require additional approvals and consultation.
That's why we start every project with a free site visit. We'll assess your site, discuss the best location for the building and identify any planning considerations before work begins. From there, we can help with:
With specialist planning expertise in-house, we'll guide you through the process from the outset, helping you avoid unnecessary delays and keeping your project moving.
Looking for more information? Download our free Planning Permission Guide.
Every Smart-Space project is managed from start to finish by an experienced project manager, so rather than dealing with multiple suppliers, you'll have one point of contact who moves everything forward and keeps you informed every step of the way.
We manage:
All projects are different, which is why we bring together the right specialists at the right stage. From planning consultants and structural engineers to installation teams and principal contractors, we'll coordinate the entire process on your behalf.
Real Projects
Proven solutions for schools across the UK
Boost to school sports capacity
Extra space boosts community use and events
Steel building contains four courts
Key Benefits of Our Modular Classrooms
“It’s great that we can temporarily use this vast building for classrooms while the rest of the school is being built!”
All our education buildings are designed and engineered in Britain. We adhere to Department for Education guidance, including Building Bulletin 103 (space planning), Building Bulletin 93 (acoustics) and, where applicable, Building Bulletin 100 (fire safety), alongside the relevant Building Regulations.
Every building is engineered specifically for its UK location, with structural calculations for wind and snow loading, fire-retardant materials and the technical documentation needed to support planning and Building Control approvals.
Every building can be customised to your school's requirements, including:
If your additional space is likely to become a permanent part of your estate, Smart-Space can provide steel-framed education buildings designed for long-term use. They offer the same design flexibility, speed of installation and complete project management, while creating a more permanent facility that can support your school for decades.
Project: Deepings School – Temporary Sports Hall Installation
Challenge: The closure of a local sports facility left Deepings School in need of a space to hold exams, mock exams, PE lessons, after-school sports clubs, and support GCSE and BTEC sport qualifications.
Solution: We provided a temporary, modular sports hall that could accommodate exams, physical education, and extracurricular activities, meeting both functional and regulatory requirements.
Outcome: The temporary sports hall was installed quickly, providing a versatile space that supported academic and sporting activities, ensuring minimal disruption to the school’s schedule
With nearly 40 years of experience, we’re the largest temporary building rental company in the UK.
No unnecessary complications, just a storage building that fits your needs.
Yes. Many schools install a temporary building to solve an immediate space challenge and continue to use it for many years. Buildings can also be supplied as permanent structures if that’s more appropriate.
We design spacious buildings that can be used in multiple ways, including as workshops, dining halls, examination halls, performance spaces, assembly halls, staff facilities and specialist teaching areas. We also provide dedicated education sports buildings, including sports halls and pitch covers.
We don’t provide smaller portable classrooms.
Yes. Long-term rental options are available for most projects, helping schools create additional facilities without significant upfront capital expenditure.
Yes. Smart-Space can provide high-quality temporary buildings that can be used in multiple ways while permanent buildings are unusable.
We provide a complete turnkey service, including design, planning support, compliance, surveys, project management, installation and completion.
Every project is different depending on the size of the building and site conditions, but many buildings can be installed in as little as 7-21 days.
Our team will work with you to agree a schedule that minimises disruption and delivers your new facilities as efficiently as possible.
It’s likely yes, although planning requirements do vary depending on the building, location and length of use.Our team can advise you from the outset and guide you through the planning process where required.
Because our buildings can be specified with insulated walls and roofing, double-glazed windows and suitable lighting, they provide comfortable environments throughout the year.
Costs vary depending on the size of the building, specification and hire period. We'll provide a clear quotation based on your school's requirements.
Many buildings can be relocated elsewhere on the school site if requirements change. They can also be moved between sites, making them a good option for multi-academy trusts running multiple schools.
Temporary education buildings can help schools create additional space without the disruption and material usage associated with traditional construction. Specifications can incorporate energy-efficient features such as insulated walls, roofing and LED lighting.
Projects can often be planned around school holidays to minimise disruption to pupils, staff and day-to-day school activities. We'll work with you to agree a programme that suits your school.
Fill in our form and one of our Sales Managers will be in touch, or if you'd rather speak with us, call us now on 01827 330000.
