A brand new school that was built in 12 weeks during the coronavirus lockdown has had its construction captured in remarkable time-lapse footage.
Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow, Essex, was built by contractor Caledonian Modular on Tendring Road, who built most of the new school in a factory.
Working within government guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, 198 individual modules making up the new school were transported from the Midlands.
This allowed school to go up in record time, complete with concrete flooring and external cladding.
Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow is built in a record 12 weeks as lorries deliver modules which are attached by cranes into blocks of the school
The fist and second blocks of the school are joined by a third block on the Tendring Road plot, completing the construction
The empty plot of land is quickly transformed as cranes begin attaching modules delivered by lorries on top of one another.
Aerial footage shows diggers working in the centre of the plot as a steel frame is constructed for part of the school.
Construction teams continue to work through rainy weather as modules are added to the first block of the school.
Lorries deliver more modules as the second block is built, before they are connected by a third block.
Aerial footage shows the first block of the school being constructed while a steel frame is put up next to it
Diggers work in the centre of the plot as lorries deliver more modules and cranes attach them to the block
Lucia Glynn, BMAT head of operations, said: ‘It looks fantastic. Working with the Department for Education and Caledonian, we are still hopeful for our 2021 opening.
‘Our thanks go to all involved for continuing to push on through what continue to be very difficult circumstances.
‘This has been classified as essential work by the government and so permission was granted by the Secretary of State for Education for work to continue as safely as possible.
‘The new building we have created is fit for 21st century learning. It has been very interesting for us to watch the modules brought onto site like Lego and turned into a building.’
The modules are ‘modules brought onto site like Lego and turned into a building’ says Lucia Glynn, BMAT head of operations
Sir Frederick Gibberd College opened in temporary accommodation in September with its first cohort of Year 7 students.
Headteacher Dee Conlon said: ‘Seeing the 2D plans we worked on for a year standing in front of me in real life was incredible.
‘We saw the process of making the units from the beginning to end and physically walked around in our main reception, library and dining hall.
‘I kept imagining my children in their navy and yellow uniform reading, playing and eating in those spaces. I could almost hear their chatter and laughter.
The school is set to open in 2021 as BMAT works with the Department for Education, with 500 new places for its academic sixth form
‘Our families, children and staff cannot wait for the school to be completed and not just because it will be a brand-new shiny building, but because it will be our home; a safe place to learn, laugh and grow.’
The secondary school is due to move across to the new building in 2021 when its new academic sixth form, with 500 places, will also open.
In the meantime, Sir Frederick Gibberd students work from a temporary building on the site of fellow BMAT school Burnt Mill Academy.
Work to convert further accommodation at Burnt Mill to house the next cohort will start soon to be ready for this September.
In a briefing to the nation on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured) said some schools will open at the start of next month, with secondary schools to provide ‘some contact’ from 15 June
Barrie Newman, Caledonian project director, said: ‘Caledonian are very pleased to be undertaking this full turnkey scheme directly for the DfE to provide 1,700 urgently needed school pupil places in Harlow.’
Schools in England will start to reopen on June 1 as the country eases out of the coronavirus lockdown.
In a briefing to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said some primary schools will open at the start of next month, with secondary schools to provide ‘some contact’ from 15 June.