Rowley Regis Learning Campus

The Design

The Rowley campus will combine two specialist schools - Whiteheath & Westminster, with a secondary faith school - St-Michael’s, into the one shared campus. The current schools are on three separate sites, but will unite with 1850 students and staff on this campus during summer 2011.

The Learning Campus will have an important community facing aspect serving one of the six towns in Sandwell and will deliver an innovative model to a diverse range of pupil needs across the three individual schools. The three schools will remain as separate schools within the campus co-located solution.

The business-learning centre will promote enterprise learning for students and members of the community, helping them to gain skills and knowledge related to small businesses.

A community standard performing arts centre will promote cultural learning and appreciation, commensurate with the profitable and beneficial use of leisure time.

The shared sports provision will provide for both school and community use. High quality indoor facilities will provide for both competitive and non-competitive sport and there will be a dedicated fitness centre:

Students and staff will make full use of an ICT Learning Gateway.
On-line curriculum for learners in the school and in the community.
Personalised learning; anywhere/anytime learning.
Students individual learning plans.

The campus will have its own catering facility with extensive food preparation areas and satellite serving areas.

Progress on Site - May 2010

Whiteheath Education Centre

Substructure works, including gas diversion works, are complete. During the reporting period, the concrete frame works have been completed. The installation of insulation and brickwork to the external walls is on-going during the reporting period, together with the commencement of Mechanical and Electrical Building Services and internal partitions.

Westminster School

Substructure works, including gas diversion works, are complete. During the reporting period, the concrete frame works have been completed. The installation of insulation and brickwork to the external walls is on-going during the reporting period, together with the commencement of Mechanical and Electrical Building Services and internal partitions.

St Michaels Church of England School

Substructure works are complete. The superstructure works are practically complete, with external envelop works commenced.

Shared Facilities

Substructure works including retaining wall construction and Bio Mass Storage Vessel are complete. Erection of the structural steel frame is complete, with all floors poured also. External envelop works has also commenced.

External Works

Utility diversions / Main External Drainage works are practically complete. Primary drainage runs outside the building are complete. The Section 106 approval has been received from Severn Trent to all the connection of the foul and storm drains.
Formation of the sports field (creation of the pitches and top soil screening) is complete.
Civil works (including partial access road construction and car park formation works) planned for this stage are complete. Kerbing stones and the base course have been constructed to the car park and main campus road. The construction of the retaining wall along the main access road is complete and construction of the storm retention vessel is also complete. Backfilling of the campus retaining wall is now complete.
The highway works have now commenced following approval of the Section 38 and 278 works. The Section 38 works is on-going with the connection to Currall Road nearing completion and installation of storm retention pipes progressing steadily. Section 278 related works are also progressing well with the removal of traffic crossing islands and statutory service diversions. Aspects of the works were conducted via a temporary traffic management period.

Progress on Site – February 2010

Initial works in August & September 2009 focussed on securing the site, this included:

Installing 1.5km of new fencing.
A vegetation strip.
Diverting a large gas main pipe and the bulk movement of 40,000 cubic metres of site fill which included tabling the plateau for the new sports pitches.

During October & November the school foundations and drainage progressed with the two tower cranes erected that can be seen on the local skyline. The car park and new access road were constructed and permanent site offices established. The ground floor slabs are now cast in the Whiteheath & Westminster areas and the first columns have started to rise out of the ground.

Twenty eight weeks into a two-year build programme we are currently concentrating on building the 2 & 3 storey structures of the three schools that form the campus. The steel frame of the Sports Halls, Theatre, Dining and LRC commenced in early January and is well on. The brickwork, render, and glazing envelope enclosure will quickly follow in the spring.

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