Remodelling Deeplish Primary Academy: Delivering a Full Internal Programme in the Summer Holiday Window

Deeplish Primary Academy is a primary school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The academy required a comprehensive internal remodelling programme: partition alterations to reconfigure the internal layout, new ceiling systems, new floor coverings throughout the affected areas, redecoration to all surfaces, and associated M&E upgrades including new lighting.

Clarke Lambert Construction was appointed to deliver the full programme within the 6-week summer holiday window. The academy needed to be fully operational and ready for pupils on the first day of the new term — a fixed, non-negotiable deadline.

A 6-week summer holiday window sounds generous until you map out the programme. Strip-out, structural alterations, M&E first fix, ceiling works, floor coverings, second fix, decoration, and cleaning — each trade has dependencies on the one before it, and there is no slack in the programme for delays.

The additional complexity at Deeplish was the scope of the remodelling. Partition alterations required structural assessment and, in some cases, temporary propping while new lintels were installed. The M&E upgrades required coordination between the electrical contractor and the ceiling contractor to ensure that light fittings, smoke detectors, and other ceiling-mounted equipment were correctly positioned before the ceiling was closed.

With multiple trades working concurrently in an occupied building, the programme had to be sequenced to eliminate downtime between operations and to ensure that no trade was waiting on another.

Clarke Lambert Construction developed a pre-sequenced trade programme before work started on site. The programme identified the critical path — the sequence of operations that determined the overall duration — and built the programme around it. Strip-out and structural alterations were on the critical path; decoration was not, and could be accelerated if earlier operations ran ahead of programme.

The programme was shared with all subcontractors before mobilisation, with each trade given a clear start date, a clear scope, and a clear handover condition — the state in which they needed to leave the work for the next trade. Daily progress meetings on site kept the programme on track and allowed any issues to be identified and resolved before they caused delay.

Material deliveries were planned to coincide with the programme, with materials arriving on site as needed rather than being stored for extended periods in the school.

Although the academy was closed to pupils during the summer holiday, the building was not empty. Administrative staff were present throughout the works, and the school's caretaker was on site daily. The construction team maintained a clean and tidy site at all times, with dust suppression measures in place during strip-out and cutting operations.

All operatives held DBS Enhanced clearance, and the site manager maintained a daily register of everyone on site. The academy's business manager was briefed daily on progress and on any areas of the building that would be inaccessible the following day.

At the end of each working day, the site was left in a condition that allowed the administrative staff to access their offices safely. Temporary barriers were used to separate the construction zone from the occupied areas of the building.

The full internal remodelling programme was completed within the 6-week window, with the academy handed back ready for pupils on the first day of the new term. The reconfigured teaching spaces provided a better learning environment, with improved acoustics from the new ceiling systems, new floor coverings that were easier to maintain, and a fresh decoration scheme throughout.

The academy's business manager confirmed that the programme had been delivered on time and to a high standard of finish, and that the construction team had been professional and responsive throughout the project.