INCA Case Study: Coundon Court Teaching Block, Coventry

Coundon Court Teaching Block, Coventry

Wates Construction were appointed as the contractor to carry out extensive demolition and new build works to renovate Coundon Court Secondary School in Coventry as part of the Department of Education’s (DfE) 10-year School Rebuilding Programme.

Coundon Court Secondary School was selected as one of the first 50 schools in England to receive funding under the Programme enabling the school to undertake major re-building and refurbishment works to create modern, efficient buildings and landscaping.

Following the demolition of six redundant teaching blocks, three new teaching blocks consisting of teaching spaces, a sports hall and communal facilities alongside landscaping works which will be completed by 2026.

Coundon Court is an all-inclusive secondary school serving 1,800 pupils including students with special educational needs from Year 7 through to Year 13. Working in an existing, live school environment posed challenges for the team.

Wates and its subcontractors worked collaboratively with the School and Client to overcome these by creating a robust logistics plan and comprehensive phasing programme to ensure minimal disruption and the provision of a safe environment for pupils and staff. Segregated ‘non-construction zones’ were set-up and students were relocated into temporary accommodation buildings. All demolition works took place during the school holidays to reduce noise and dust and any deliveries to site were scheduled outside of peak school times.

Rendserve, were appointed to carry out the insulated render works to 3 new build blocks and on this first teaching block, installed the Wetherby Stone Wool Silicone External Wall Insulation System utilizing 110m stone wool with recessed 70mm Stonewool feature panels to achieve an overall U Value calculation of 0.15W/mK.

Because the contractor used a Gypsum based board for sheathing the SFS substrate we were challenged with ensuring every fixing was through the insulation and into the vertical steel studs so the initial setting out was essential.

Due to the dark shade of the finished render, the system was double meshed and finished with a dark grey silicone topcoat and contrasting light grey top coat between window panels. Rendserve also supplied and installed all the cills, capping’s and flashings on this project.

We will be returning later in 2025 to carry out the insulated render works to the two remaining blocks.