Sutton Coldfield Grammer School: Fabric First Approach

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls went through a significant refurbishment project that spanned five years, starting from 2019. The school, which was built in the 1920s, had suffered from decades of minimal upgrades, leading to numerous issues with its infrastructure, including leaking roofs, outdated heating and electrical systems, and high energy costs.

Initial Assessment and Partnership

The school partnered with Warneford Consulting to develop a strategic plan for the renovations. This partnership included conducting a range of detailed surveys to assess compliance, condition, sufficiency, and energy usage.

Fabric First Approach

The survey data provided the premise for the strategic decision to adopt a “Fabric First” approach, focusing on improving the insulation of the building’s envelope: roofs, windows before upgrading their heating and hot water infrastructure. This approach was chosen to ensure the school could continue to operate, reduce temporary repairs, and achieve immediate energy savings. – The strategy also laid the groundwork for widening their options for future installations of renewable energy technologies.

Five-Year Plan

A five-year plan was developed to prioritise projects based on condition need and budget and funding availability. The priority was the roofing projects, divided into three phases: flat roofing, pitched roofing Phase 1, and pitched roofing Phase 2, each addressing associated window upgrades. 

Warneford Consulting successfully secured over £1.2 million in funding for these roofing projects through three successive rounds of the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) awards.

Heating and Hot Water Renewal

Following the roofing projects, the focus shifted to the Heating and Hot Water Renewal Programme. This included the upgrade of the plant room and the subsequent replacement of the 100-year-old pipework distribution network, which was lagged in asbestos and prone to leaks.

The successful completion of these two additional projects which amounted to a further £1.7 million of awarded Condition Improvement Funding included an air source heat pump, reducing the school’s dependence on gas and helping the trust transition towards decarnonising their estate.

Outcomes

By 2024, the school had seen a complete transformation of its estate, with new roofs, windows, boilers, and heat and hot water distribution system in place.