Sustainable school extension creates space for 300 additional pupils

Boosting pupil provision with eco-extension

We are so excited to be able to move into our new sustainable teaching block. As the school continues to grow in pupil numbers we will increasingly benefit from the fantastic spaces, each designed with the children’s best interests at heart. It’s been a wonderful experience seeing the new block take shape and seeing the whole school community being involved. It’s a building we can all be truly proud of.”

Chris Deller, Head Teacher, at Bedford Academy

Overview

To support the future growth of Bedford Academy and provide additional school places for the local community, Bedford Borough Council commissioned a £12 million extension at one of the town’s largest secondary schools.

The brief focused on creating high-quality, sustainable teaching environments that aligned with the school’s vision for growth.

Delivered as a 60 week programme, the new teaching block features

16 modern classrooms
New changing facilities
A large dining hall
A community café space
A silent study area

The building meets Net Zero Carbon in Operation standards. It features exceptional energy efficiency measures, including airtight facades, photovoltaic panels, and air source heat pumps, all working together to support the council’s sustainability commitments and the school’s long-term operational goals.

The Challenge

As with many education projects, working to a strict programme aligned with the academic calendar was a key challenge. Construction needed to minimise disruption to teaching, while also achieving the council’s delivery deadlines for growing school capacity.

As the project progressed further, it became clear that there would be a delay caused by the sub-station upgrade works, which would require UKPN’s involvement to energise the site. This delay would in turn impact the test and commissioning period, which posed a risk to the completion date.

To mitigate the challenges, Pick Everard, working closely with Ashe Construction, devised a solution where temporary power would be utilised to ensure the testing and commissioning period would be unaffected. As a result, the programme was not only met but improved upon.

Our Solution

The completed extension adds essential teaching space and enhances the student experience with modern, purpose-built facilities that prioritise comfort and sustainability.

The new block will support an additional 300 pupils, ensuring that families in the catchment area have access to high-quality education close to home.

Community Impact

Pick Everard, in collaboration with the contractor, Ashe Construction invited sixth formers to visit the site at various stages of the build, which was aimed at promoting construction as a viable career path to the school children.