Oander Helps Rutherford School with a Meaningful Start to New School Extension

Rutherford School, which is part of the Garwood Foundation, is a specialist independent mixed day school for 3 – 19 year olds who require specialist support, having profound and multiple learning difficulties. 

After a prolonged period, they were able to secure planning permission to provide a significant extension to their current facilities, which includes a new swimming pool, community café along with sensory rooms and classrooms.   

With the pandemic placing the school’s pupils at high risk, the project progress slowed for obvious reasons, although as the world started to open up again and the risk reduced, it identified that the planning permission was close to lapsing, having been secured almost 3 years ago, therefore Rutherford approached Oander to assist.

What did Oander do?

We worked with the consultant team to identify the minimum requirements, which under planning legislation constitutes for a ‘meaningful start’ to be made.  

This saw the Oander team taking the lead by developing and completing the Construction Logistics Plan and Environmental Waste Management Plan to discharge the pre-commencement planning conditions.

With the project in particular being logistically challenging due to the location and the site effectively being ‘land locked’, along with the school remaining operational, the Oander team developed and identified the minimum proportion of the foundations required, which could be constructed with minimum impact to the day to operation of the school, whilst maintaining planning compliance.  

Oander Unique Skill Set Adding Value as Lead Consultant and Principal Contractor.

Considering the nature of the work and the cost pressures on the Charity, Oander was able to utilise a Construction Management approach in which we procured individual works for the demolition, groundworks, setting out, and tree protection measures (which was another planning consent condition imposed by the Local Authority).

This approach enabled Rutherford to take the benefit of the package buying gains and remove the traditional risk allowances along with overhead and profit mark up from a Principal Contractor. Further savings were achieved with the provision of welfare facilities, whereby a redundant school building, destined for future demolition, was enabled with a new power supply and the water reconnected. Utilising this existing asset safeguarded the very limited on-site space for the construction vehicles, plant and materials.

The challenge in this approach was that the respective contractors wanted and required a Principal Contractor appointed to manage the works. Therefore, with the in-house knowledge and experience, Oander were able to undertake this role on behalf of the foundation and comply with CDM Regulations 2015 to deliver the works.  

Utilising our teams’ expertise of having spent considerable tenure working with and running projects for Tier 1 Contractors, Oander were confident, capable  and qualified in provided and discharging the necessary CDM aspects.  

The Next Steps for the Project.

Having secured the original planning permission, Rutherford are continuing to progress with seeking support with funding and developing the final construction details. During this next phase Oander will be working closely with the school and other stakeholders to provide an affordable scheme to the benefit of the school, and more importantly, their pupils

If you would like to support this great cause, you can find out more by clicking here to see how you can support the Garwood Foundation and Rutherford School

The Project Team

We would like to take the opportunity to thank the project team and the wider supply chain in mobilising and delivering the works within such a short time span.