Project: The Portsmouth Grammar School Sixth Form Centre

Group Company: SSH Cleaning

Location: Portsmouth

Total Value: £2.5 million

Project Start: July 2018

Works Duration: 6 weeks

Description:

SSH Cleaning (Part of The SSH Group) were delighted to be awarded the contract to clean The Portsmouth Grammar School Sixth Form Centre. The School is just a few minutes from our Head Office. The construction of a new Sixth Form Centre provides new social space, learning space, class rooms, offices and a careers facility.

The school’s sixth form has doubled since its current centre was built in 1995. Each year between 35 and 40 pupils join the school for their sixth form years.

The new centre will be set over three floors on the site of the existing building.

Headteacher James Priory said: ‘As a school the sixth form is continuing to thrive and grow.

‘We had one built for the school in 1995 but in that time it’s grown by 50 per cent.

‘As a facility, it’s becoming inadequate.

‘It’s more about meeting the changing needs of young people studying at that stage of their lives.

‘It’s also about creating a space that will inspire them for the challenges that are on the horizon for them.’

The new centre includes a large ground-floor social area with a dedicated cafe and exhibition area.

On the upper floors, large classrooms and a suite of seminar rooms have been designed to stimulate discussion and debate.

The first-floor learning zone is connected by an aerial walkway to the rest of the school.

And the new centre will feature a collaborative learning space where students will have the opportunity to study together.

‘It’s a university-style experience,’ added Mr Priory.

‘It’s a purposeful work environment but it’s a space that can hold discussion and exchanges of ideas.

‘It’s about pupils shaping their own learning. At the moment we don’t have a facility like that and this gives it to us.

‘We feel it’s going to make such a big difference.’

And Mr Priory said he hopes this will inspire students across the school.

‘The sixth form has such a big impact on the school,’ he said.

‘They are role models and they set the pace. They are the young people who our younger pupils aspire to be.

‘It really is a hugely exciting time in the life and development of the school.’

There were many challenges that SSH overcome, and our cleaning team received brilliant references from the Interserve staff.

SSH carried out a full internal builder’s and handover clean. In addition, we also carried out the external window and cladding clean using MEWP access.

For more information on the School, please visit: http://www.pgs.org.uk/