Churchward SEND was opened for pupils in September 2020 as the latest addition to the Brunel SEN Multi-Academy Trust in Swindon.

 

Churchward School forms one of ISGs ESFA Lot 8 – Medium Value Band: South West framework schools on the £8 billion programme of works for new build and refurbishment schools and colleges projects across England.

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Now occupancy has been achieved, ISG’s duty of care to the school continues with what is called a Building Performance Evaluation or BPE.  The BPE requires Ollio as ISG's BPE specialist to conduct a lessons learnt review of user’s feeling about their new building and its technical performance.

 

The review follow’s the guidance contained in the UK Government Department for Education's Priority Schools Building Programme specification Appendix G.

 

Building Performance Evaluation are short format Post Occupancy Evolutions.  The process commences with a visit to the school to meet with the contractors team and the head teacher's team to discuss how the project went, and unpack what residual issues might still need to be addressed.  After an introductory review meeting with the whole team at the Churchward site, we toured the building to look in more detail at what was happening on the ground and how the school was being used close up. 

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We also issued two questionnaires, one to teachers and one to the facilities team to get a snapshot of users perception about what is good and maybe not so good. All done in a positive spirit of learning.

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We also looked at energy use, making sure it is being recorded correctly.  

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Within ten days of the first visit we produced a report with proposed early interventions which were implemented by the headteacher and facilities teams

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Later this year we will go back to Churchward to check how things are, how lessons are being learnt and if any more needs to be done to optimise energy use and user delight.