All systems ‘go’ at a school for the future in Broadstairs

Clague is working as architect with Verry Construction on a £13.8 million refurbishment of Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs, Kent as part of the largest school building scheme in Europe, the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, worth an estimated £1.8 billion.

Bob Rathmill, Equity Partner at Clague, said: “It is great to see this level of investment in Kent schools to develop learning environments for the 21st Century within contemporary architectural designs. Pupils remember their school days for the rest of their lives and the work that the whole team is doing will make a difference to many generations of Kent’s young people. Our local experience and established skills in educational design, combined with the expertise of larger national companies, will bring valuable benefits to our local economy.”

The BSF initiative is run by Partnerships for Schools and the funding for the County of Kent is to be available in phases. The work at Charles Dickens School forms part of the £600 million first phase, which is being managed by a Local Education Partnership, a public private partnership between Kent County Council and consortium leaders Land Securities Trillium and Northgate Information Solutions.

Clague’s designs at the Charles Dickens School will allow the buildings in poorest condition to be demolished with around a third of the school being replaced. The new buildings, and a semi-enclosed inner courtyard, are being designed for a variety of functions and include kitchens, dining facilities, art and performance spaces and administrative offices.