Steel creating new Canterbury school

Approximately 600t of structural steelwork is being erected by H Young Structures for the construction of the Barton Manor School in Canterbury.

A partnership between Kent County Council, the Department for Education and Barton Court Academy Trust is building the school on the site of the former Chaucer Technology School.

It is due to open in September 2022, and will provide teaching space for 1,050 pupils aged between 11 and 18.

In order to meet the scheduled school opening date, it was important to choose construction materials that could form the architectural design economically and swiftly.

“Speed of construction is always important and building with a steel-framed solution is quicker than other methods, especially during the inclement winter months,” said Kier Project Manager Jamie Hawkins.

“We also have some 18.5m-long spans in the sports hall, and these would have been difficult to form in anything other than steel.”

The new school will feature 7,200m² of teaching space, with both traditional teaching spaces and modern vocational training studios in a steel-framed three-storey building.

Adjacent to the teaching block, the school will also have a steel-framed sports hall, that will also include a two-storey element that will accommodate a first-floor dance studio as well as changing rooms on the ground floor.