Goffs School in Hertfordshire approached Pickfords Business Solutions to relocate 1,300 pupils and 150 staff into a new building near their existing site.
Background
Goffs School is a comprehensive, mixed secondary education and sixth form facility with approximately 1,300 pupils, based in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.
To accommodate growth in pupil numbers, Goffs contacted Interserve Construction Ltd to develop a newly purposed building near the existing school site. After a tendering process, Pickfords was contracted by Interserve to move the school between the two buildings.
Requirements
- Relocate the existing school into the new building within a strict timescale
- Relocate and unpack various departments, classroom and office materials and furniture
- Provide move management services: pre-move planning, health and safety planning, risk management, contingency planning
- Provide crates and boxes for records and staff personal items
- Remove heavy gym equipment
Solution
Pickfords devised a tailored move programme, integrated a range of resources and established activity control mechanisms to meet the schedule targets.
The Project Manager oversaw the planning, while the Move Managers implemented the plan to ensure compliance with the project aims, timescales and health and safety requirements. The project team carried out regular reviews of project milestones and maintained close communication with Interserve and school representatives.
Challenges
The relocations were to be completed within a tight one week timescale, in line with the teaching timetable. To ensure the project was completed on time, Pickfords developed a 24 hour move programme.
As the project progressed, the school identified additional requirements, such as the need to dismember and move a mobile racking system and additional furniture. This presented a challenge to the already strained timescale, which was overcome by adopting a maximum flexibility approach and utilising contingency measures to ensure the project remained on track.
Logistics
- 24 hour move programme: 18 men on site for 9-hour shifts at all times over 7 days
- 7.5 tonne vehicles and various removal equipment
- Specialist subcontractor hired to remove heavy gym equipment
- Combined security measures with the school's own security arrangements to ensure the safety an integrity of the project
Result
Pickfords met all the project objectives and completed the relocation on time and within budget. The professionalism, efficiency and friendly demeanour of Pickfords' employees exceeded the school's expectations. Despite the pressure of time and additional requirements at short notice, Pickfords' ability to adapt ensured the school did not lose any teaching time.
"I would like to express our gratitude to the Pickfords team. They worked tirelessly and with unfailing good humour. Nothing was too much trouble, and they responded with a smile to all requests. Throughout, their professionalism was exemplary. They made a complex and busy move an incredibly smooth process." - Alison J Garner, Principal, Goffs School