Totty Construction - Offices Development - Bradford, Challenge College

Date: 01 Nov 2005

Totty Construction has been awarded a £4.1 million education project from Bradford Metropolitan District Council to extend Challenge College in the West Yorkshire city. The scheme at the secondary school, which was originally constructed in 2002, will see Totty build two new extensions to further enhance facilities and provide additional capacity at the flourishing school.

Work is now underway on site, following a ceremonial ground breaking event with Steve Amos, deputy head of Challenge College and several pupils, who are all set to benefit from the new facilities upon completion of the scheme in December 2006. To help minimise potential disruption and to facilitate the school's overall requirements, Totty will handover elements of the new extensions in a phased manner to allow for staggered occupation of the building towards the end of next year.

The new three-storey extensions - one to the front and one to the rear of the existing school - have been designed to blend seamlessly with the original building with zinc clad facades and solar shading panels. The new buildings will house an important range of additional facilities for the college including a new assembly hall, changing facilities, a new Post-16 study area and administrative offices.

Additional classrooms to be created include a new purpose built music suite, art rooms, three new ICT classrooms, as well as extra teaching rooms for science and humanities subjects. A key element of the extension will see the City Learning Centre within the College move to a new and extended facility at the front of the building. The City Learning Centre is part of the Government's Excellence in Cities' initiative to improve education standards and skill levels, promoting employment opportunities and countering social exclusion.

Totty will also reconfigure parts of the existing school to enhance accessibility for disabled staff and pupils, including the installation of ramps, lifts and automated doors. Externally, a new tennis court will be created and additional car parking space formed.

John Gittins, managing director of Totty Construction's Public Sector division, commented: "Working in an operationally live environment presents a range of challenges for the contractor, however, Totty has a wealth of expertise successfully delivering complex projects with phased handover sequences. The creation of additional resources at Challenge College will help to further enhance the reputation of this excellent institution, with these extra facilities not only benefiting students, but also the local community at large."

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