Wyke College, Hull

A campus at the heart of a newly revitalised and vibrant sustainable     

This campus is at the heart of a vibrant community and serves the west of Hull with a modern 21st century learning environment that acts as a symbol for the college’s excellence and promotes an environment of learning to the wider local community.

Wyke Sixth Form College had identified a need in their accommodation strategy to consolidate their presence on a single site, requiring the construction of a campus based upon a learning street with curriculum areas off the street comprising learning support and social care, performing arts, IT, science health and social care, music, PE, languages, art, film and media, and a learning resource centre.

Creating solutions

We developed a Property Strategy which enabled the quality of the Learning Environment and the capacity of the College to meet learner needs and reflect its’ curriculum offers where, historically, the built environment had become a barrier to increasing participation and improving choices for learners.

In a city where learning had been given too little status and importance by key elements of the population it was necessary to raise the status of the facilities. They had to be of the highest quality by national standards, and created:

• Inspiring social, informal learning and theatre and gymnasium accommodation
• A significant increase in the space available for the refectory, library and learning centre
• Accommodation to consolidate the College’s high reputation for music, media, film and performing arts, and physical education
• New facilities for the wide general education offer made by the College at levels 3 and 2, supported by provision at level 1 and at pre-entry levels
• Wholly fit-for-purpose sports accommodation
• Facilities which will further raise achievement andencourage student enrichment in high quality flexible teaching spaces.

Adding value

We utilised our in-house Further Education team to apply for, and deliver, Learning and Skills Council funding at an intervention rate of 82%.

Our procurement methodology provided cost certainty at the first stage and involved the contractor at the second stage to further rationalise design and incorporateenhancements at minimal cost. Final construction costs, including enhancements, were delivered within budget and under the contract sum.

Two-stage tendering allowed early cost certainty, approximately two months earlier than by a traditional approach, and early commitment to a single contractor ensured a fast start and reduced the lead period from instruction by four weeks.

Phased handovers allowed critical buildings to be handed over in line with funding profile, and our project management methodology ensured the required outcome first time, as well as fixed price tenders in line with the business case.

 Download the Wyke College article [176kb]