Fast turnaround delivers classroom for start of term

A lost order for a classroom unit and 30 additional children scheduled to arrive at the start of term could have been a disaster – but Portable Space rose to the challenge and saved the day.

Westley Middle School, with 490 pupils aged 9-13 years, is part of the successful Bury St Edmunds All-Through Trust.

Following a re-organisation by the local authority to a two-tier system in the area, many parents recognised the benefits which the All-Through Trust offers. As a result, an additional 30 children were enrolled in September 2016.

Diane Everett, the School’s Business Manager said:

“We had already placed an order for a classroom with another company in good time but when I chased it up in August, it emerged that there was no trace of the order.

It was a heart-stopping moment – we had no classroom, 30 children were on their way and time was running out. Fortunately Portable Space came to the rescue and were brilliant. After contacting them in mid-August, they immediately carried out a site survey and turned our order – and delivery – around in just one week. Danny Napier and the team really pulled out all the stops. They arranged delivery of the 9m x 6m pre-owned modular classroom on two lorries which was then assembled on site, in time for it to be painted and fitted out ready for the children’s arrival on 5th September.”

Portable Space offers a range of new and used modular buildings – from heavy duty steel modular for construction markets to compliant modular with a higher specification for organisations requiring more permanent accommodation. On this occasion to save both time and money, a pre-owned modular building was chosen from its network of stock.

Diane Everett concludes:

“It was a fabulous service and we were very impressed. On behalf of the Headteacher and Governors of Westley Middle we would like to thank everyone so much for all the hard work they did in the incredibly fast turnaround required to accommodate the extra children we were expecting. We would have no hesitation in recommending the company.”