The New Building

Update 7 May 2012

• Well, some of the scaffolding has finally come down.
• The Gym walls have been rendered and the underfloor heating system has been switched on.
• The building is due to have full electrical power switched on next weekend.
• A majority of the internal services work has now been completed.
• A date has even been set for the demolition of the old boiler house.
•  Soon the kitchens will be installed.
• The Hall continues to become even more awesome!
• Even the staffroom starts to take on a Tardis appearance (those who have been in will know what I mean!).

Update 26 April 2012

Hello Readers

The visual part of the building from the webcam never seems to show very much in terms of what is happening in the building. This could not be further from the truth. Yes the rain has been an inconvenience, but inside all the services are being installed.

• All the pipework is now in place for the heating and installation of the biomass boilers has been completed.
• Testing of the under floor heating is due very soon. This will mean for those with long memories, that the Boiler House (aka Mr Cuthbert's Office) will be demolished at the end of May and beginning of June.
• The sprinkler water tank was installed and connected to a new mains supply over Easter.
• Inside the building quite a lot of paintwork has been completed and the Gymnasium is now awaiting the sprung floor.
• When we went in the new Hall last week, Mr Foreman was heard to comment that it was just like a London West End theatre, unfortunately at this point, without the seats.
• The kitchen facilities are due to be installed next month.

 

Update 28 February 2012

I hope my readers do not think that there is nothing happening at the moment just because I have not written anything for a few weeks. This could not be further from the truth. Each day the site averages about 60 contractors, completing work on the parapet, roof, heating, electricals', painting and window installation. The boilers arrived last week and installation has begun. We will keep the old boiler house going until the end of the season and then Mr Cuthbert will officially start the demolition of that special landmark that we all cannot wait to see disappear.

The Kalwall in the Dance Studio and Music area has been fitted. If you are not sure what it is, it is described as a 'translucent daylight building system. Glass bricks to everyone else. There is now a new power cable laid to the new block from the sub-station.

Over the last few weeks the under floor heating has been fitted. This involves laying a special felt type material, then some foam type material, then some small pipes followed by concrete which is then laid on the top. Bam told me that it was about 70 tonnes on the ground floor alone. All brought in by barrows! The school and Local Authority are now meeting regularly with Bam to plan the hand-over. Over the last few months we have made decisions about:

1.  Colours of walls
2.  Flooring
3.  Cafeteria furniture
4.  Reception colours
5.  CCTV
6.  Security gate systems
7.  Wifi
8.  Hall staging, lighting and sound

Amongst many other things. Plans have been completed for the area outside the new building which at the moment vary from mud to hardstanding, depending upon the weather. We have even talked about the return of the cricket field.

Update 15 January 2012

1.  Windows are going in and near completion.
2. There is another 150mm of roofing to go on top of the existing 150mm.
3. The under floor heating installation starts on Wednesday with the floor screed being laid - approximately 70 tonnes of concrete - by barrow load, for the ground floor alone!
4. Initial wiring for the hall starts in the next week.

 Let us hope that the re-build of CCHS is as successful as an earlier contract by Bam (when they were known as Nuttals)... Mr Jones need not say anymore! (photograph taken yesterday, whilst doing another assignment)

Do you ever wonder what our builders do in their spare time.  Here is a clip from the school's Christmas concert.

  Dim lights

 Cameraman - Mr N Parkinson

If you have trouble watching the videos on this site download Adobe flash player.

Update 14 December 2011

1. Internal walls going up at a fast rate. Mr Foreman almost has a wall up in his office now!
2. Windows being installed
3. Internal wiring for the Hall sound system being installed straight after Christmas, so that the acoustic walls can then be installed over the top
4. Contractors for the Sound and Lighting will be ASG (the top company in the country).
5. Darrell Ford who organises the sound and lighting for all our Performing Arts events has been the Consultant on this project and has put many hours of work in both designing, and advising on, the new system. We owe him a big thank you for his work and commitment to achieving a first class facility for Performing Arts.

Update 27 November 2011

1. Project on timetable
2. Windows starting to be installed
3. All areas upstairs walled out
4. Colours for the different areas of the school selected

Here are some aerial photos of the site courtesy of Andrew Booth of Alamo Business Systems plus the latest photos of the inside.

  

Update 5 November 2011

1. Perimeter fence will soon be completed
2. Hemcrete wall finished by Wednesday and is now drying
3. Internal walls going up at a fast rate on both ground floor and first floor
4. Stage base is now in place and ready for concrete
5. Will start to put windows in very soon now
6. Wall floorings chosen
7. Colours selected for the toilets
8. Roof being sealed - the building will soon be water tight.

Update 12 October 2011

1. Perimeter fence is progressing well
2. Curtain wall is on target
3. Window frames will be arriving soon and ready for fitting
4. The roof was sealed on Saturday with a concrete skim and this work is now continuing on the first floor
5. All block and beam work is complete on the ground floor.

Update 30 September 2011

1. Good progress with the perimeter fence
2. Curtain wall work 50% completed. Work is now in the administration area.
3. Flooring on ground floor now complete
4. New link to Sports Hall will be carried out over half-term
5. Compete roof slab on Saturday
6. Meeting of School Council on Tuesday to look at colour schemes
7. Two work experience placements have been agreed for next summer with BAM
8. There will be a viewing area of the new building on Open Evening. The building will be floodlit.

Update 23 September 2011

 

1. Perimeter fence now being installed
2. Hemcrete starts around Admin area and reception areas
3. Weather-proofing the roof continues
4. Hemcrete drying well in PE area, therefore rendering can start soon
5. Attenuation Tank work complete, therefore hoarding can be returned to its original line outside Technology Block
6. Groundfloor internal walls and flooring well advanced
7. Meeting with School Council week after next to consult on Toilets colourings and finishes.

 

Update 18 September 2011

 

1. The perimeter fence is finally being started today.
2. The roof was being sealed with concrete on Saturday and the rest of the first floor during this week
3. The hemcrete wall is progressing very well
4. Internal rooms on the ground floor are clearly taking shape, in particular the Spine wall, Dance Studio, gymnasium, changing rooms and Hall
5. Meetings are being organised over the next few weeks to consult with pupils on the colour schemes in the Pupil Toilets and to look at the furnishings in the Dining Room.
6. Plans have been published for the revised entrance area to the school as a consequence of funding being withdrawn from the Building Schools for the Future programme.

 

Update 10 September 2011

 

1. All steel work now complete
2. Roof now completed
3. Concrete topping starts very soon
4. The first part of the hemcrete wall at the back of the building is complete and now drying
5. The pump is being installed for the attenuation tank.
6. The perimeter fence installation finally starts next week
7. Plans for the new entrance route at the front of the school have been completed and will be going for planning permission next week. I will put them on the website as soon as I have them available.

 

Inside the Building 2 September 2011

Mr Jones risked life and limb today to capture some images of the inside of the new build -

Update 19 August 2011

1. Steel work will be completed within the next week
2. Hempcrete (walls) equipment arrives next week ready for the start of the installation the following Monday
3. Drainage work nearly completed
4. Fencing of the perimeter will start in the next two weeks.
5. Floors and roof completed very soon.

Update 22 July 2011

1. The attenuation tank is now installed and will be back-filled. So the great hole will only be a memory.
2. The steel work is now starting in the learner toilet area and move towards the hall, plant room, dining room and Learning resource centre.
3. Sleeper walls being constructed.
4. Beginning to install the block and beam in the PE area
5. Work will soon start on the perimeter fence, this will continue into the autumn term.
6. Over the summer holidays drains will be repaired, new ones laid and a new electric connection installed from the sub-station.
7. Wooden frame for the hempcrete will be started in the next two weeks, with the start of the installation of the walls in the second half of August.

Update 17 July 2011

1. Contrary to rumours sweeping around the site, there will be no swimming pool despite the size of the hole being excavated and the amount of water in the bottom. It will be an Attenuation tank capable of holding nearly 500,000 litres of water. The excavation will be finished by Tuesday.
2. A crane capable of a 200 tonne lift will be on the site on Tuesday to lift the stairs into place. The event will be recorded for posterity.
3. Work continues on the drainage system.
4. The girders are being coated in a fire-retardant paint.
5. Work will soon start on the last section of steel work, namely the Learning Resource Centre, Dining Area and THE HALL!
6. Brick work continues so that work can begin soon to put the shutters in place for the Hempcrete walls.

Update 10 July 2011

1. Staircases were being delivered this weekend
2. Sleeper wall is being built in the area of the Gymnasium, changing rooms and Dance Studio
3. Excavation work for the attenuation tank begins this week
4. Danny and Mike from the BAM management team supported by Anthony from the BAM Support team led 5 lessons last Wednesday on the Stop the Clock Day on Sustainability.
5. On Tuesday at Sports Day, BAM have challenged the staff to a Tug of War and 4x100m race - (we are [not] quietly confident).

Photographs by Mr D Jones & Mr N Radtke

Update 2 July 2011

1. Please accept the apologies of BAM and ourselves if you were one of the many cars caught up in a jam on Wednesday morning when deliveries arrived outside the agreed delivery time slots. It should not have happened. Matthew Garnett (BAM Project Manager) has reminded all contractors about the time slots for deliveries. Mr Foreman donned his yellow jacket and successfully took control.
2. Work continues on schedule with steel work.
3. Roof and floor lintels continue to be located
4. The attenuation tank has been delivered, although if I am honest it just looks like very neat piles of liquorice pieces to me.
5. Drainage work continues
6. Two silos with the word Mortar on the side were delivered on Friday which indicates brickwork will begin soon.
7. On Wednesday BAM are running 5 workshops linked to the theme of 'Sustainability' on Stop the Clock Day
8. BAM have thrown down the gauntlet to staff challenging us to a race on Sports Day. It will not be an 'egg and spoon race!'

 

 

Update 25 June 2011

1. Continued work on the steel structure (Mrs Scott is of the opinion using the photographic evidence that there are great similaries between the design of our new building and Bamburgh Castle. I have to agree that her argument is very compelling).
2. Locating the roof and the first floor concrete blocks into place
3. Drain work continues
4. Work will soon start on the attenuation tank which will be placed next to the Technology Block and will require the hoarding to be moved forward to the low wall. This will be quite a sizeable hole to place the tank and pumping gear into - 500 cubic metres. (How much is that in weight?)
5. Over the summer holidays there will be significant drainage work completed outside the hoarding line.
6. Work on the Time capsule gathers speed. The group of year 7 pupils working on this project have discovered a lot about behaviour and discipline in the 1960's and 1970's and all feel glad that they are in school now.

 

Update 19 June 2011

1. The BAM Site Project Management Team have completed a sponsored ride from Holyhead to Cardiff this weekend as part of their contribution to BAM Construction Uk's chosen charity this year Barnado's. They have ridden a total of 250 miles. Well done Matthew, Danny and Tom. If anyone would like to make a contribution towards their efforts, please contact Matthew
2. The steel work continues at a rapid pace (unfortunately, it will not mean that the whole building will be completed by this September, despite what some learners and staff believe!).
3. Concrete is arriving on the site to provide roofing and flooring.
4. There has been a large consignment of drains delivered this week and they are being installed.
5. Work will begin soon on digging the hole for the Attenuation Tank in the corner next to the Technology Block (This week's challenge is to find out what this tank is for). This will mean that for a short time the hoarding line will have to be brought forward to the right of the steps
6. A group of Year 7 learners is working hard on the Time capsule contents by interviewing former staff, long-serving staff and former pupils

Update 12 June 2011

1. As everyone can now see we have a webcam that will record the progress of the new build. From these images we will be making a time-lapse film of the rest of the build. Many thanks to Andrew Booth of Alamo Business Systems (our ICT facility provider) for bravely going up in the blue cherry-picker and fixing the webcam to side of the Teaching Block and with Mr Lonsdale for so quickly linking up the webcam to the website. Lets hope viewing the images does not become too compulsive! Funding for this camera has been provided by the New Build Budget.
2. Progress on the steel frame gathers pace and has now reached the entrance drum. Both lift shafts frames are in place and we will soon be seeing the two entrances and where Mr Foreman's new office will be. Of course it easy to forget the fact that there are no walls as yet.
3. The installation of new drains is now taking place.

Update 7 June 2011

1. The steel frame is spreading towards the front of the school, with the corridor clearly being seen and the upstairs balcony visible.
2. The Gymnasium, changing rooms, Dance Studio, practice rooms and one Music room erected.
3. The first delivery of the pre-cast floor arrived yesterday.

Despite work stopping for exams, the fine weather has allowed progress to be maintained.

 

 

Photographs by Mr D Jones & Mr K Sheldrake

Update 20 May 2011

1. All the foundations are about to be completed, apart from the lift-shafts. Progress has slowed a little due to the examinations. All work stops on the site during exam periods.
2. Steel arrives on Monday and the frame will very quickly start to take shape
3. The turf-cutting ceremony takes place on Monday afternoon at 3.15

Update 19 May 2011

Year 10 learners made a site visit and met with Matthew Garnett, Project Manager who explained how the new build is progressing. He explained how the foundations were positioned using laser technology and then about the new type of building material they are using for the walls called hempcrete and why it has been chosen instead of traditional materials. Slide 11 above is a last opportunity for a photograph of the tree and the steps before they are removed.

Update 15 May 2011

1. Laying of the foundations is well on schedule and should be completed by Tuesday
2. The security fence which will completely surround the site has now been marked out and installation will start in a few weeks.
3. Plans are now being drawn up for a revised front entrance. The front entrance was positioned to take account of the Phase 2, BSF plan. However, with the cancellation of that project by the Government we are now looking for a design which allows for control and movement of people onto and off the site as well as allowing for a good view of the entrance from Green Lane. As soon as we have those plans we will place on the website.
4. As part of the agreement with Bam, the first group of learners will visit the site on Wednesday, this week during Period 5.
5. On Monday, 23rd. May at 3pm there will be a Turf-Cutting ceremony, to mark the re-building of the Main block. Members of the School Council will be in attendance along with Elected members, Local Authority representatives, School Governors, Kings'Foundation, CCHS Partners and members of the Pontefract Education Trust. Members of the media will also be present.

Update: 6 May 2011

1. The excavation work has been completed today
2. Foundation work is progressing very well and if you look from the Teaching Block you can begin to see the outlines of the building.
3. Perimeter fence is to be started within the next 6 weeks and will be completed before the end of term.
4. Safety lights will be fitted to the hoardings on the field side walkway

Update: 3 May 2011

1. All the demolition work is now complete and the remaining spoil will be removed by Thursday of this week.
2. Foundation work at the front of the site has begun and will take approximately three weeks.
3. Weather proofing on the side of the Sports Hall to be completed this week.
4. The steel for the frame will start to arrive on 23^rd. May.

Update: 21 April 2011

The photographs above show that work has begun in earnest on the site. Since the beginning of the holiday, the changing rooms have been demolished the ‘hole’ has been excavated and is now being prepared for the foundations to be laid. The building area has been secured and Bam have placed a number of viewing points around the site. The new paths have been laid, to allow access to the Music Block and the Annexe. In addition, we have also had new lighting put into the Sports Hall. All learners will be given a map of the site when they come into school on Tuesday morning showing the routes around the site.

Can we remind everyone that the Driveway access point into school is no longer available to anyone other than Construction traffic.

Important information about the new building and restrictions that will apply are in a letter and a map.

Here are the latest artist's impressions of the new build. For a larger view simply click on each photo.

Plans

These plans give a general impression. If you want to see a more accurate version, you can see an enlarged image by clicking on each plan. To increase the size of the new image click again and the cursor becomes a magnifying glass.



Ground Floor Plan



First Floor Plan

 

 

First Floor Balcony

Landscape