A transformational change in the education of primary-age pupils

Paible Primary School and Nursery

Developed on the site of an existing school on the island of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, this new facility was envisioned to provide high-quality modern buildings integrating nursery, early years and primary education. The goal was to replace ageing, inefficient buildings with flexible, state of the art facilities to enhance the learning experience for pupils.

Our team reviewed the early-stage feasibility study and was then appointed to manage the scheme through to completion.

During construction the existing school buildings remained in partial usage, requiring thorough planning to safeguard children and staff.

Weather conditions experienced on North Uist posed a challenge to transporting materials to the island and storing these on site. Delivering the project on an island also presented construction supply chain risks, requiring early planning and market engagement.

Phasing the works and strategically programming key tasks, e.g. demolition, during the summer holiday and term breaks removed any health and safety or disruption risks to children and staff.

We held early-stage market engagement events to establish contacts with contracts on the island, gaining access to valuable market information to support cost planning and to assess the availability of local construction labour. As a result, our consultants sourced local suppliers on the island to achieve a local labour score of 73%.

To protect the supply of materials for construction, these were stockpiled within a designated sheltered area to minimise the potential for adverse weather to disrupt the construction programme.