State of the art school opens doors after reaching final stage of development

Greatfields School, in the heart of Barking, East London, has officially been completed as part of a transformational build programme. Net Zero Panels (NZP), a specialised division of Net Zero Buildings and part of the Premier Modular Group, worked with main contractor, Auburn Group, to deliver the third and final phase of the 21,500 sqm development.

The redevelopment, which sits in the former Gascoigne Estate, introduced an ‘inside out’ design for the school, introducing larger classrooms with modern amenities. Teachers are now able to take advantage of flexible spaces according to their teaching needs.

Originally opened in September 2016, the school is the centre of learning for 950 students, and part of a wider campus that caters to over 2,400.

The school recently celebrated excellent GCSE results, with headteacher Richard Paul praising teachers and school leaders for their “unrelenting efforts and the countless extra hours of support.”

NZP is dedicated to providing practical, low carbon panelised solutions to address performance challenges for buildings such as airtightness, structural and thermal issues.

NZP was brought in during the final phase of development, to help ensure the school’s new, permanent location is holistically futureproofed. With fire safety a top priority for the school, NZP worked closely with all stakeholders to deliver non-combustible, fire tested panels with concrete flooring.

Jack Randall, director of NZP said: “It’s amazing to see what has been achieved at Greatfields, a project we’re really proud to say we have worked on. From our perspective, it was important to look at each individual aspect of compliance, including structural performance and sustainability, as a whole.

“Our holistic approach to helping customers helps maintain control over cost, carbon mitigation and emissions, compliance and combustibility, as well as futureproofing projects such as Greatfields School for years to come.”

Mike O’Dell, Construction Director at Auburn Group, commented: “Working with NZP, we knew we’d have a partner that not only came with the exact experience we needed, but could also provide us with big picture support through their deep understanding of net zero as well as the compliance required for projects such as Greatfields.”

The final phase of development was officially opened through a ribbon cutting event.