CPW Joins Midlands Construction Companies Providing Coventry School SENCO Upgrades

CPW has joined forces with local Construction companies to provide time, labour, and costs for free to upgrade the SENCO facilities at the Grace Academy in Coventry.

Led by McLaren Construction’s Midlands and North division and Opus Land, ‘The Big Build’ charitable programme delivered brand-new classrooms and sensory facilities, enriching the lives of students at the Academy who are in desperate need of these spaces.

Supporting McLaren and Opus Land, the design team behind this community project included Architect – Webb Gray, Structural Engineer – SBK, Mechanical & Electrical Engineers – CPW and Landscaper – Whiting’s.

Taking place over the summer, the works included a complete refurbishment and remodelling of existing classrooms to form larger teaching spaces and a new sensory room with access to outside spaces. New walls, ceilings and floorings were also installed, complemented by new LED lighting, heating, security and fire alarm systems.

The dedicated space allows a new environment for student needs, offering room for small group intervention and 1-2-1 support with internal staff and external agencies. The school enhancements ensure students with special educational and emotional needs can be as fully equipped as possible for success.

The Academy held an opening ceremony to celebrate the new spaces at the start of September, with former English professional footballer, Andrew Townsend, in attendance. Attendees enjoyed a tour of the enhancement works, live music, canapes and a speech from Andrew Townsend.

Head of Grace Academy, Natasha Whiles, said: “We are so incredibly grateful and blessed with the new facilities. It’s such an improvement on our old facilities - and I can’t wait to see the student’s faces when they come in and see their new space, and just how amazing it looks.”

Jeremy Turner, Associate at CPW leading on the Big Build, said: “As MEP engineers, we're passionate about creating environments that truly cater to the unique needs of all students. Our mission is to ensure every detail, from lighting and acoustics to ventilation and temperature control, is meticulously tailored to provide comfort and support.

“Seeing the smiles on students' faces as they thrive in spaces designed just for them is the most rewarding part of our work, and it's fantastic to see contractors and design team members coming together for such a worthy cause.”

Gary Cramp, managing Director at McLaren, said: “Thank you to CPW for your outstanding contribution towards our 'Big Build' project on behalf of Grace Academy. We would not have been able to complete this fabulous scheme without the support, manpower and materials you have kindly donated towards this worthy project. You have truly gone above and beyond our expectations.”

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