Medlock FRB completes school for children with autism

Pupils and staff have moved into a new school for children with autism which has been built and fitted out by Medlock FRB.

The Bright Futures School at Greenfield cost over £1m and has been funded by family-owned cleaning products manufacturer Robert Scott.

The single-storey, steel-framed 4,000sq ft building comprises 15 classrooms for one-to-one education, sensory and medical rooms, kitchen and dining areas, a reception area, staff room, outdoor space and on-site parking.

Medlock completed the construction and fit-out of the school in 27 weeks.

Bright Futures was founded in 2010 by Zoe Thompson and her late husband Dixon Milburn as an independent school for children aged five to 16.

In April 2018, the school was informed its rented premises in the village of Grassfield, Saddleworth, were to be sold.

Daniel Scott, operations director at Robert Scott, learned of its predicament and visited Zoe and the team.

Following consultation with its board of directors, the company offered to fund a new building on vacant land opposite its Greenfield mill.

The new school was designed by Oldham-based chartered architectural technologists Whittaker Design.

Dan Lewis was the project director for Medlock FRB and Tom Worthington was the project manager.

Mr Lewis said: “As part of a locally-based team of contractors and consultants, we are delighted to have successfully completed the construction and fit-out of the new Bright Futures School.

“It demonstrates our ability to deliver traditional construction schemes as well as our usual leisure sector projects, and we wish Zoe and her team every success in running the new school, which will greatly improve the quality of life for children with autism.”

Zoe said: “We already feel at home and it feels just right. Words cannot describe how happy and grateful we feel at the moment.

"It will make a huge difference to our pupils and staff to be in such a lovely and picturesque setting in a bespoke building designed to provide a classroom for every pupil.”

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held in the summer to allow time for staff and pupils to settle into their new surroundings.

Daniel Scott said: “As a local business, it’s extremely rewarding to see the children and staff of Bright Futures move into their new premises and make it their own.

“We’re very proud of everyone who has been involved with this project and the hard work they’ve put in to finish the project so quickly.

"We look forward to seeing the children flourish as they settle in.”

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