Morgan Sindall Construction is continuing to demonstrate its excellence in education construction, with work on two key projects valued at more than £100m.

The firm has completed enabling works at Oxford Brookes Campus, where it has a £76.5m contract to improve and expand one of Oxford’s student accommodation sites.

In the same week it was appointed to deliver a new £30m Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

At Oxford Brookes University’s Clive Booth Student Village Morgan Sindall is delivering 515 en-suite rooms and various social spaces across four buildings. 

The contractor was appointed via the Southern Construction Framework to provide an increased number of high-quality rooms within the University’s estate. 

With the village located next to the University’s Headington campus and a 20-minute walk from the city centre, it will help to reduce the number of students living in private rented accommodation and support efforts to manage local housing demand. 

Mark Tugwell, deputy director of estates at Oxford Brookes University, said Morgan Sindall’s team worked with the university collaboratively to successfully find affordable solutions despite the “hyperinflation” in the construction industry. 

“Under the Pre-Construction Services Agreement, Morgan Sindall undertook far more of the construction than might have been expected of them, keeping the project on track,” he said. 

“They are working in a constrained site, surrounded by live student accommodation, having to enter the site through a residential area and past a school. 

“They manage all aspects with total, thorough professionalism which has ensured continued positive engagement with local stakeholders. 

“We are delighted with the choice of Morgan Sindall for this project.” 

James York, area director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “The new accommodation will have far-reaching benefits for both the city and University through offering enhanced living areas and freeing up residential space in the city. 

“This particular development presents an opportunity for us to utilise the latest innovations as part of our commitment to delivering high-quality schemes responsibly, whilst also saving on costs and time. 

“We take great pride in training our employees on modern methods of construction which in turn helps us to achieve our crucial net zero goals as a business. 

“We look forward to leaving a lasting legacy through our social value activity, which includes employing a high proportion of local supply chain on site and encouraging young people into the sector to build on rewarding careers.” 

MICA architects were appointed by Oxford Brookes University to design the redevelopment of Clive Booth Student Village. 

Jessie Turnbull, senior associate at MICA, said: “We have been consistently impressed by Morgan Sindall’s collaborative, friendly and flexible approach since we started working with them in spring 2021.”

Cambridgeshire County Council has also appointed Morgan Sindall to deliver the new £30 million Prestley Wood Academy, a Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) School that will be located at the heart of the Alconbury Weald development in Huntingdon. 

The school will cater for 150 pupils aged between 3 and 19 years and will form part of the Alconbury Weald Education Campus that will see the addition of a new Secondary School in future phases.   

The design of the school has been determined through extensive engagement with Cambridgeshire County Council and Horizons Education Trust, to provide a facility which responds to the Council’s Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) policy. 

The school builds on the success of the Trust’s Spring Common Academy in Huntingdon and the Trust’s aspiration to provide a welcoming environment where pupils can flourish both academically and in their personal development.  

Jamie Shearman, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Cambridgeshire, said: “Like so many areas in the UK, SEND places are in high demand in Cambridgeshire. 

“The Morgan Sindall team understands the importance of providing high quality facilities that meet the educational needs of children, giving them the best chance in life.  

“It is a privilege to be working alongside Cambridgeshire County Council and the Horizons Education Trust, as we collaborate on delivering an inspiring, state-of-the-art development for the benefit of the wider community.” 

Earlier this year, it was announced Morgan Sindall had helped deliver 400 new school places in Essex through two new school projects. 

In March, the firm's Northern Home Counties business also began work on The Windmill School in Barnet, which will provide organisation for up to ninety pupil aged five to 18 with a diagnosis of autism. 

Morgan Sindall is also working on a new £9.2m school in Nottinghamshire, which will create 376 nursery and primary places in the heart of a new David Wilson Homes development.

It is also creating a new specialist mathematics school at an old Building Society HQ and is working on the first Net Zero school in Wales.