Construction firm continues to build on education refurbishment portfolio

Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter has carried out more than £3.5 million pounds worth of specialist refurbishment works in the education sector, whilst schools and colleges were closed for the summer holidays.

Alongside a strong work bank of new-build education works across the region totalling more than £25m in the previous year, the business has had a hugely successful summer period in its dedicated minor works division, delivery a huge portfolio of rapid-delivery, complex refurbishment projects in education assets across the region.

One of the projects included the creation of a new multi-use games area (MUGA) at St Hugh’s School in Scunthorpe. The sheltered MUGA will enable students to utilise the area in most weather conditions, transforming an area which was previously unusable for the special educational needs (SEN) students at the school.

Jonathan Kenyon, who is the head teacher at the school, said: “We would like to share our heartfelt gratitude for the exceptional work that has gone into the construction to the school MUGA. The result is truly outstanding and a testament to the dedication and expertise of everyone involved.

“The MUGA is a massive, valuable addition to our school, and it will undoubtedly benefit our students for years to come and enrich their learning journey. It’s thanks to the team from Hobson & Porter, who go above and beyond that we can provide such enriching opportunities for our students, and we are truly fortunate to have had such a committed team working on our project.”

For East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Hobson & Porter has refurbished four science classrooms, a prep room and office, as well as replacing pipework, cabling and mechanical ventilation at Beverley High School. It has also refurbished both flat and pitched roofs, as well as tennis courts at Howden School and a timber framed extension at Hornsea Primary School. At Swanland Primary School in East Yorkshire the company has upgraded the heating and hot water systems, boilers, hot water storage and distribution pipework.

For York County Council, Hobson & Porter has worked at three schools over the summer – Clifton Green Primary School, Huntington Primary Academy and Yearsley Grove Primary School.

The works included building a new, secure lobby at Clifton Green Primary School, with a revised access ramp and a relocation of the reception and visitor counter. Internal alterations included an upgraded meeting room, head office and new offices with replacement windows. The firm has also extended a meeting room and refurbished the car park, with three new access gates and overhead lighting.

At Huntington School, Hobson & Porter has re-roofed a building and made modifications to the drainage system, and at Yearsley Grove Primary School the firm has also carried out re-roofing works, as well as upgrades to the heating and electricity supplies.

Sam Robertson, from Hobson & Porter’s minor works division, said: “When it comes to the education sector, we have more than fifty years of experience of mobilising our teams for a huge uplift in education refurbishment and repurposing work over the summer months. We appreciate how important it is to work to a set timeframe so that we can have everything handed over and ready for the start of term. These projects are often incredibly intricate and require a real hands-on approach to deal with the unforeseen challenges which arise. Thankfully we can rely on our hugely experienced, directly employed team of management staff and operatives to deliver to our steadfast standards in these circumstances.

“We’ve worked across a huge portfolio of primary, secondary, further and higher education buildings in the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region and we value our relationships with a diverse set of clients in the education sector. Creating an inspiring environment for pupils to learn and thrive in is something we are hugely committed too, and our proven track record for delivering on our promises means that we always have a very busy schedule of works to carry out not only in the summer break, but also during all academic holidays throughout the year.”

As well as refurbishment works, Hobson & Porter is also highly skilled at delivering new build projects for schools and colleges in the region. The firm has recently broken ground on a new £7m primary school in Northallerton for North Yorkshire Council and Dales Academies and has recently handed over a £6m new-build project at Fulford School in York, where it has built a new English, drama and art centre for the South York Multi-Academy Trust. Hobson & Porter is also building a £5m technical, engineering and construction facility at York College and recently completed projects for The University of Sheffield and Humber Engineering Training Association (HETA). The firm has also recently broken ground on the pioneering £10m Horizon Youth Zone in Grimsby.