Modular eco-building for wrap around care at Ashley Primary

Ashley is a large primary school for children aged between 4 and 11. Since September 2021, they have had three classes in each year group, with 630 pupils in the school. They benefit from a huge site which includes a large playing field and a forest school area, where children experience outdoor learning such as gardening, bee-keeping and scientific study.

The trust approached TG Escapes to design a modular school building for wrap-around care and to use as an art studio.

We asked Gill Farmer, The Good Shepherd Trust Business Manager about their Hive project.

Why did you want to develop additional space?

To provide an additional wrap-around care resource so that we could offer this service to all our families and to provide an additional teaching space for the art and design curriculum.

What made TG Escapes stand out from other providers?

They were responsive during the tendering process and worked with us to achieve the best solution within the budget. Everyone on your team has been great to work with and it is evident that you and they fully understand the complexities of working on projects whilst the school is in session. You have taken away all the potential stresses for us i.e. the balancing safeguarding the school community whilst getting the Hive completed. Well done for delivering before the deadline too!

What are the biggest benefits you have noticed for the pupils and staff?

We now have a designated art and design teaching area and all families are able to access our extended care provision.

“I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the team at TG Escapes who have been involved with the delivery of this building through the various stages of the project. I think it’s safe to say it’s been a journey! So many hurdles to jump over along the way but finally we achieve PC/Handover which is a fantastic achievement for the team at Ashley. I am sure the building will deliver the much-needed wrap-around care for the school over many years to come and I am sure that everyone will enjoy using the additional space that this project has created.”