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Passivhaus school opens in West London
ONE of the country’s very few Passivhaus-designed schools is up and running. The New Ark project at St Benedict's Junior, Ealing, West London has been designed by van Heyningen and Haward Architects and is its second for St Benedict's, following on from the 6th Form & ADT which completed in 2015. The New Ark is a super-sustainable,
innovative, educational building, one of only a handful of schools in the UK built to the Passivhaus standard. Passivhaus buildings like the New Ark
are extremely airtight, super-insulated and can be up to 96% more energy efficient than older school buildings. Air
quality and temperature are maintained by using heat recovery ventilation, which differs from conventional heating systems because fresh air from outside passes through a heat exchanger. This improves the air quality inside, maintaining good oxygen levels to help staff and pupils stay alert. St Benedict’s Headmaster, Andrew
Johnson, said: “The opening of our new Junior School is another very exciting landmark in St Benedict’s history. The new classroom spaces are inspiring places for our youngest pupils to learn, providing the best possible start to their education here.”
Independent schools’ estates facing rising financial pressures, says Bidwells
PROPERTY consultancy Bidwells says rising running costs, lack of financial reserves to carry out property improvements and the political threat of losing charitable status and the subsequent business rates and VAT liabilities are key challenges facing independent schools in 2018 The consultancy says many schools
do not have financial reserves for property improvements and are ‘fire fighting’ in terms of keeping old or listed buildings fit for purpose. There are usually other issues such as site constraints, access and transport links. Maintenance is also a challenge with many establishments needing to ‘fly the plane whilst building it’. Jobs often take longer than the scheduled period during the holidays and run into term-time,
causing timetable disruption. Bidwells notes that there are increasing
and rapidly changing demands on a school’s senior team, saying “bursars and governors need to be commercially astute to ensure their establishment survives and thrives with the emerging challenges that lie ahead.” Bursars, it suggests, “need to access professional advice on property maintenance and improvements to ensure that initiatives meet with success. Having close relationships with the local planning department is key, as are project management skills to see new developments delivered on-time and on-budget.” Bidwells observes that some schools
are trying to raise income by letting out facilities during the holidays for conferences and events. “However, this
is currently not proving a successful financial strategy for many schools as the opportunities are limited and the profit margins small. Such activities are a further burden on - often stretched - facilities staff and adds to the maintenance costs of the property. “Independent schools need to be even
more creative in seeking other income- generating activities which can help to offset rising costs. A way forward could be looking at innovative ways to create revenue in the same way as some Oxbridge Colleges which invest in property outside the campus and use the rental income to support academic activities. Other options including fundraising from alumni which has varying degrees of success in the UK and for the top schools, overseas franchising.”
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educationdab.co.uk
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