Ferriby Building at South Hunsley School

The Overview

The Ferriby Building at South Hunsley School expanded and improved the teaching provision available to pupils aged 11 - 18. The two-storey facility includes a mix of classrooms, a reception hall, admin offices and toilets, giving the school additional capacity and improved flexibility for day-to-day learning.

Pick Everard was appointed to provide Quantity Surveying services to deliver the project within the available budget while meeting the school's educational and environmental goals.

The Challenge

Pick Everard joined the project following the completion of Stage 1 and after the contractor had been appointed. Entering at this stage meant that key design and procurement decisions had been made, requiring our team to quickly familiarise themselves with the existing information, contractual documentation, and established cost framework.

Limited influence over early design decisions placed greater emphasis on financial oversight, value management, and the need to identify cost efficiencies without compromising the school’s sustainability ambitions. The project included £1m of section 106 funding, which required careful administration to ensure full compliance with planning obligations.

Close co-ordination with the contractor was also essential to align reporting processes, maintain programme momentum, and support timely decision-making. Balancing cost control with the school’s sustainability objectives, including energy efficiency, natural lighting, and biodiversity net gain, added further complexity to our role, requiring careful attention to ensure that the environmental and educational goals were achieved without compromising on cost or programme.

Our Solution

Pick Everard put a clear cost management plan in place once appointed to the project. By working closely with the school’s NEC Project Manager and the Director of Finance and Estates, we were able to monitor costs, review proposals, and support informed decision-making.

We reviewed contractor information, checked costs and identified areas where savings could be made without affecting the school’s design. Regular communication with the contractor helped us manage risks and keep the programme on track.

Through this approach, the Ferriby Building was delivered on time and within the agreed budget. The completed facility now provides new teaching spaces that are energy efficient, filled with natural light and designed to support the school’s long-term environmental and educational goals.

“Working with Pick Everard on this project has totally contributed to its success. Pick Everard has been diligent, thorough, professional, timely and always kept us on track. Their knowledge and advice has steered us through difficult conversations around costings, compensation events and the NEC contract.

Their eye for detail and ability to push back when necessary has ensured the costings and programme stayed on plan where possible and, where this was not possible, we achieved the best price or the best agreeable outcome. What has been additionally nice was to have a degree apprentice on the project and see them grow and watch the support they have been given by the Pick Everard team. We would absolutely use Pick Everard again.”

Jennifer A Jewitt, CFO and Director of Finance and Estates at The Education Alliance