our white paper

HEADTEACHERS’
GUIDE TO MODULAR
CLASSROOMS
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
• Classroom Options Explored
• Modular Vs Mobile
• Learning and the Environment
• Classroom Build FAQs
THREE
CLASSROOM
OPTIONS
Schools wishing to expand
have three building options:
• Bespoke, prefabricated, ‘modular
classrooms’ put together on-site
with many made from the latest
eco-sensitive, sustainable materials.
• ‘Mobile classrooms’, delivered as
complete, single modules that can
be used individually or joined
together to form larger spaces.
• Traditional bricks and mortar
constructions.
Over the next decade, many headteachers
in England will face a growing headache:
how to accommodate an additional
900,000 pupils – on top of existing numbers
– when tight budgets, lack of space and
underfunded facilities are already stretching
their schools to the limit.
More classrooms are needed, but where do you
get the funding to build them? A bricks and
mortar solution will be well beyond most schools’
finances and take several months of planning
and disruption. It’s an option reserved for whole
school buildings. The answer lies in a technique
that has made great strides since the second world
war – prefabrication. Classrooms can be designed
around a school’s individual learning needs, made
in modular format off-site, and create minimum
disruption to the school day by being quickly
erected over school holidays.
Three years ago in China, a 30-storey hotel
was erected in just 15 days because all its key
components were prefabricated and modular. The
‘bolt-together’ edifice is an eco-warrior’s delight: it
used no welding, scaffolding or water in assembly,
wasted less than 1% of construction materials and
used 90% less concrete than traditional bricks and
mortar schemes.
Modern modular classrooms bring the same
environmental and cost-saving advantages. Most
importantly, they promote quality learning – an
activity almost always enhanced when children are
introduced to new teaching environments built
around their learning needs. A new classroom can
mean a vital boost for schools striving to match
the recent sharp increase in standards expected by
Ofsted.
Since 2010 more than 3,000 schools
(including 1,464 primaries) have become
academies (January 2016 figures).
Academy status gives headteachers
and governors full control of their own
budgets. They continue to receive the
same level of state funding as they did
before from their local authority (LA)
and yet are now also free to attract
sponsorship and private sector finance,
unconstrained by tight LA budgets.
Tight budgets and rising school rolls, linked
with the almost instant gain of a brand new,
durable and yet flexible learning space,
is encouraging more headteachers to take
the sustainable, prefabricated route.
Traditional methods are now well over double
the price of modular and mobile alternatives
and work best when building complete new
schools and unlike bricks and mortar, modular
building construction does not produce a
muddy building site that dominates your
school’s environment.
Lorries generally make very few journeys to deliver
modular components, there is very little or no
waste to take away, and with less mileage they
emit far less Co2 than traditional supply lorries 10% of all UK emissions are said to be linked to
the construction industry.
Modular construction also takes weeks rather
than months needed for bricks and mortar
buildings. Costs are kept down because all the
real modular building work is done in factory
conditions rather than relying on skilled on-site
workers who command premium wages at a time
of skills shortages. Modular buildings can also be
erected in all weathers.
In fact, modular construction processes have
come a long way since more than 150,000
‘prefab’ houses were built to help meet a postwar housing shortage. They were meant to last
10 years but thanks to durable designs and
construction methods, some still exist today.
Now, modern prefabricated buildings are
enjoying a revival, benefiting from new, durable
materials and advances in design;
our growing perception of the need to preserve
our environment; and all-round cost-effectiveness.
MODULAR VS MOBILE CLASSROOMS
If the brick and mortar option is out of the
question, do headteachers now opt for a
modular-style classroom, built on site in
prefabricated, often recycled and eco-friendly
components from specialist manufacturers?
Or do they choose a ready-made mobile classroom,
less flexible in design and often made from less
durable materials by companies generally catering
for a much wider “instant need” but more shortterm market, such as building site offices and
business parks?
As a headteacher you then need to consider how
big, warm and flexible your classroom has to be,
the time it will take to build, how long it will last
and what new learning outcomes you want to see
from the children using it as a new and different
space.
COST OF A CLASSROOM
Price-wise, both alternatives are practically the
same if you buy them outright. A basic single-room,
30-pupil, 57 sq m modular classroom from Green
Modular starts at £65,000. The price can rise to
£80-85,000 depending on the need for multiple
toilets, kitchen facilities, wheelchair facilities,
storeroom etc.
The eco-friendly buildings have an expected life
of 50 years and a 10-year structural warranty.
The price from one leading manufacturer for a
standard 60 sq m mobile classroom, including
a storeroom and lobby and delivered in two
complete units, is £75,000, or £90,000 with toilets
added. The company gives a 30-year structural
warranty and a five-year products guarantee.
SUSTAINABILITY AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
CLASSROOMS
THAT OFFER
VALUE FOR
MONEY
For primary schools, the advantages of choosing
a “modular” over a “mobile” classroom can soon
begin to stack up, starting with value for money.
Manufacturers often rent out mobile classrooms,
which are designed with more short-term
users in mind.
“If headteachers tie themselves into a rental
contract for five to seven years, the amount they
pay for a mobile classroom is the same as buying
an equivalent modular classroom outright,”
says Green Modular’s managing director, Craig
Riley. “But buy one of ours, for example, and we
guarantee it will last at least
50 years if you look after it properly! ”
Often schools will buy their mobile classroom
after a few years’ renting, although by that
time it may need repairs.
“It will then actually cost more
than buying a modular
classroom outright,” says Craig.
Unlike many manufacturers, Green Modular
is green to the core, intent on preserving the
environment wherever possible, whether through
using recycled materials or keeping transportation
distances to a minimum. It designs its buildings to
reduce its carbon footprint wherever possible by
sourcing materials locally.
To promote a natural look, one popular lowmaintenance option is a living sedum roof made
from small alpine plants sewn into special netting;
it looks great and improves run-off for rainwater.
DURABILITY OF MODULAR VS MOBILE
CLASSROOMS
Mobile classrooms are legally regarded as
permanent structures (as is any building that
remains on site for more than 28 days), but visible
evidence shows they are often not designed for
anywhere near the longevity of bespoke modular
classrooms.
By contrast, modular classrooms are made of
lighter material and are generally smaller, with
modern production methods and strict building
standards meaning they are almost as tough as
bricks and mortar yet require less maintenance.
Windows and skylights, such as those provided
by Green Modular, carry triple layers of laminated
glass and are tough enough to withstand the
impact of a cricket ball.
All Green Modular classrooms save on natural
resources: roof windows are recommended
wherever possible as they give out 40% more light
than wall windows – the walls can then be left as
valuable display space. All materials are air-tight,
reducing the capacity of hot air to escape through
the walls in winter or enter in summer; this saves
91% of the usual cost of electricity.
The company buys most of its usual cedar cladding
from well managed forests in Canada, and is the
first UK company to offer British cedar wood as a
slightly cheaper alternative.
Similarly, the solid, recycled wall panels are strong
enough to take a hefty hammer-blow without
damage, with walls and joins fully plastered over.
By contrast, mobile classrooms are often fitted out
with less durable plasterboard and wall joins are
covered with tape that children can easily tear off.
In fact, outside appearance is a key priority for
Green Modular.
“Many mobile classrooms have a painted laminate
or a rendered finish as cladding on the outside
walls – made of materials that are typically only
good for about 10 years,” says Craig. Bespoke
modular structures, on the other hand, use
cladding made from cedar wood, a tough material
that, when installed with good ventilation, will last
at least 50 years with little or no treatment.
BUILDING AND DELIVERY TIMES
Installing a ‘mobile classroom’ takes on average 15 weeks from initial consultation to finished product;
larger, more bespoke buildings can take up to 25 weeks. Contrast that with the generally shorter
consultation time plus three to six weeks (or a few days in urgent cases) for, say, a Green Modular
building to be manufactured, delivered direct from its factory and erected.
A basic foundation can be dug and laid in a day. However, if a school needs a fast turn-round because
of site security worries or other reasons, a complete pre-fab classroom can be produced off-site and
erected in a couple of days - precisely when a headteacher chooses.
CLASSROOM - MEANS OF TRANSPORT
Ready-made mobile classrooms are designed to fit
on the back of a lorry, so they are limited to around
3m to 3.3m in width per unit. A full-size classroom
of 60sq m would require two modular units bolted
together.
They have to incorporate heavy steel hoisting
frames to enable lifting into position by crane. A
block of four classrooms can be delivered using
this method. However, delivering to a school can
be tricky without access for a large lorry into the
playground.
By contrast, modular buildings are built on site
with all components made bespoke to suit each
school’s needs; headteachers and their staff can
thus decide on a classroom’s exact design and
location.
Delivery of all modular materials in flatpack format
direct from a factory means just one or two quick
offloads at the site, with little or no effect on the
environment. Heavy lifting gear is not normally
required.
Modular classrooms can be built almost anywhere
on a school campus, even on 40-degree slopes, and
enhance a school’s appearance. Their durable but
light components are easy to move around and
compact enough to be carried through existing
buildings.
UNLIKE BRICKS AND MORTAR
BUILDINGS, MODULAR
CLASSROOMS CAN BE
DISMANTLED AND RESITED.
LEARNING AND THE ENVIRONMENT
New, eco-sensitive classrooms give schools
a unique chance to create fresh learning
environments. Research has shown good lighting
levels boost reading vocabulary and science
test scores (Barrett et al, 2015). A project run by
Professor Stephen Heppell, a UK specialist in
innovative learning methods (rubble.heppell.
net/learnometer), shows the advantages of an
ideal classroom environment. He suggests a 250
lumen (lux) light level should be the minimum for
engaged conversation but above 450 lumen for
close work, such as writing or computer use.
Temperature and humidity play another big role.
Many traditionally built classrooms are either too
hot or too cold for learning. Research suggests
18-21C is the ideal temperature for good learning
(in maths, for instance, anything above 21C causes
a drop in performance (Joshua Graff Zivin et al,
University of California, San Diego).
Sound, particularly sound ‘rhythms’ such as the
noise made by projectors or air conditioning units,
can also affect student performance (Picard and
Bradley, 2001). Levels should remain at 72 decibels
below to avoid becoming disruptive. Rhythmic
sound should be below 60 beats per minute.
Lastly, poor air pollution and Co2 levels can affect
absence/illness records among staff and students,
says Professor Heppell. He advises maintaining
Co2 levels at no higher than 2,000 parts per
million (ppm) to keep concentration levels healthy
and thus avoid sleepiness, nauseas and raised
heart rates. Tellingly, research shows this issue is
constantly ignored in many learning spaces, which
even exceed 5,000ppm, the workplace limit in
most countries.
FAQS ON
CLASSROOM
BUILDS
HOW DO I RAISE FINANCE?
Schools should first check out their local
authorities and central government schemes.
Government devolved formula capital funding is
allocated according to the annual January school
census; local authorities and large multi-academy
trusts (MATs) (with more than five schools) are
eligible for school condition allocations, while
single academy trusts and smaller MATs can apply
to the Condition Improvement Fund. There are also
various funding bodies, including Awards for All
England, funded by the Lottery and offering grants
up to £10,000. If the building is sport related, Sport
England also awards grants up to £10,000.
Online search databases of funding programmes
include the National Lottery’s Funding Search site.
Equivalent commercial services include School
Fund Finder and Grant4Schools. Commercial
sponsorship is another option as is taking out a
loan from an asset finance company.
“None of our school clients have had problems
getting finance,” says Green Modular’s Craig Riley.
“In Norfolk, we are building one year’s classroom
and then another next year when the children
move up through the school; it helps them manage
budgets better.”
DO I NEED PLANNING PERMISSION?
Schools may erect outbuildings taking up to 250
cubic metres of space on their site and located at
least 20m away from the nearest site boundaries.
Otherwise planning permission is required, which
can take up to two or three months to come
through.
DO I NEED AN ARCHITECT?
No, unless you opt for bricks and mortar. “Discuss
your requirements with us - we don’t charge
any design fees,” says Craig. “We use professional
structural engineers to ensure we meet all the
building regulations.
A general architect will not understand the
implications of how to build one of these
classrooms and how they work on a day-to-day
basis. We’re doing it day in, day out.”
Green Modular, like other manufacturers, can
design 100% bespoke, or a school can choose a
repeat design to save money. “We have a lot of
experience in this field, so we have repeat designs
which may suit.”
In fact, developments in computer-based building
information modelling avoid the risk of design
errors during manufacture. All components have
to meet the same design and quality standards
as traditional buildings - by the time they reach
the site, they will have often surpassed quality
regulations.
HOW DO I PROJECT MANAGE?
Constant liaison between contractor and school,
along with detailed consultation with staff,
governors and pupils, will achieve the best possible
building. Appointing a staff member or governor
as the school’s project liaison manager is also
recommended.
Get a minimum three quotes. Once you have
chosen your builders, make sure they undertake to
check if planning permission is needed. Before onsite work begins, check that they will also ensure
minimum disruption, clearly define work areas
for safety reasons, ensure any foundation work is
finished before the main building is erected, and
that there will be full compliance with building
regulations (Green Modular does this work
automatically.)
When the classroom is built, you should
immediately examine the new building. Ask your
local authority for building control sign off and
get your builder to give you an operations and
maintenance manual. Then, start lesson planning!
NEED EXTRA SPACE FOR
YOUR SCHOOL, FAST?
• HIGH QUALITY ECO-FRIENDLY CLASSROOMS INSTALLED IN 3 WEEKS
• POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS BUILT TO LAST
Green Modular is dedicated to producing attractive, durable classrooms made
from sustainable, recycled materials. We have even produced a series of lessons
on environmental issues, focusing on green sections of the building design
and where it has been located. If you share Green Modular’s enthusiasm for all
things green, please call us for more information or to arrange an meeting in our
Hertfordshire offices on: 0800 334 5570 (freephone) or 01923 205090
www.green-modular.co.uk