A four-year restoration project has been completed at a school in Brentwood.

Brentwood County High School in Essex has seen a significant upgrade for its facilities following an extensive improvement programme.

The newly renovated school features two specialist teaching blocks, a refurbished sports hall, a multi-use games area, and improved landscaping.

Carried out by leading construction firms, the restoration project concentrated on improving pupil accessibility and retention.

The refurbishment was conducted in phases in an active work environment.

It also involved careful restoration of the school's primary building, which boasts a 1930s design and is considered a heritage building.

The project involved the careful restoration of a 1930s building at the schoolThe project involved the careful restoration of a 1930s building at the school (Image: Pick Everard)

Lizzy Bennett, director at Pick Everard, the multi-disciplinary consultancy behind the programme, said: "This was a huge scope of work which ties into key objectives for the educational sector.

"The school had a clear vision to bring its services in line with modern standards and create something industry-leading to attract and retain students in the area."

The project also faced certain challenges, which the team had to cater for.

Ms Bennett explained: "Given its long-term nature, we knew there had to be minimal interference to the teaching and the student experience.

"This meant splitting the required accommodation between two individual buildings, while the refurbishment of the sports hall took place early on in the project to ensure exams could continue without disruption."

In addition to upgrading existing facilities, the restoration work also focused on delivering environmentally-friendly designs while remaining true to the building's heritage.

The team developed a "heritage colour palette" to match Brentwood County High's identity, which was then carried through all facilities in the school.

As well as this, the new facilities include approaches aimed at improved energy efficiency.

The four-year project had to navigate the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, which moved team and client engagement online during the initial stages.

Ms Bennett said: "We're proud to have helped deliver this remarkable school alongside Bowmer + Kirkland, creating a standard of excellence in design for the region."