Pocklington School - New Estates Building

Pocklington School – New Estates Building

The new estates building at Pocklington School forms a key part of the school’s ongoing investment into its operational infrastructure, providing a modern, purpose-built facility to support the day-to-day running and long-term maintenance of the campus. Delivered by Cooper Construction Services, the project is a robust and efficient building designed specifically around the needs of the school’s estates team.

Located within a live educational environment, the scheme required careful coordination from the outset to ensure that construction activities were carried out safely and with minimal disruption to staff, students and ongoing school operations. Site logistics, segregation and sequencing were all managed to maintain a clean and controlled working area, with clear access routes and communication protocols established throughout the build.

The works began with site preparation and groundworks, including the formation of foundations and below-ground services to support the new structure. Given the operational nature of the building, durability and practicality were key drivers in both the design and specification. The superstructure was then erected, forming a solid and functional envelope capable of accommodating workshop areas, storage spaces and staff facilities.

Internally, the layout has been configured to maximise usability with two offices, a kitchen/canteen, toilets and shower for the estates team. The building provides dedicated areas for maintenance operations, secure storage for tools and vehicles, and welfare provisions for staff, all designed to improve workflow and organisation compared to the previous arrangement. The integration of mechanical and electrical services was carefully planned to ensure reliability and ease of maintenance, supporting the long-term operational needs of the school.

Externally, the building has been designed to sit comfortably within the existing campus, balancing a practical industrial function with a clean and considered appearance. Materials were selected to provide longevity and low maintenance requirements, while also complementing the surrounding buildings. The build also introduced an attenuation pond for the client with a treatment tank and hydro break. 

Programme management was a critical aspect of the project, with works delivered to align with the school calendar and minimise disruption during key periods. Close coordination with the client and supply chain ensured that each phase progressed efficiently, maintaining momentum on site while upholding quality standards throughout.

Within this project, we also installed EV car chargers for the school, allowing their own electric van to be charged and offering the public to make use of their chargers when parked up on site. As well as the provision and installation of EV chargers, we also installed a new HV duct and LV ducting work across the site as Nothern Powergrid were installing new HV into site. The preparation for this involved the build of a sub station, housed at the entrance to site and a switch room next to it.

The completed estates building now provides Pocklington School with a significantly improved operational base, enabling their estates team to carry out maintenance and support functions more effectively.