The “outstanding” Highfurlong School is demonstrating its excellence via the attention to detail in its new extension: even the ventilation has been chosen to support specific pupil needs.
Rated Ofsted outstanding four times and claiming to be the UK’s best school, Highfurlong has three times the number of students it had five years ago. With Highfurlong’s building at full capacity, Blackpool Council has invested £6m in a new two storey extension and enclosed linkway to enable an increase of places for special needs pupils within the borough, avoiding having to send pupils out of area.
Building services consultants Beech Jackson chose diffusers from Gilberts Blackpool to ventilate the internal space, carefully selected to minimise their operating impact on the children and avoid potential triggers such as draughts or noise.
As a result, high induction multi-nozzle (Series MN) diffusers are the predominant means of supplying fresh air into the classrooms and specialist subject suites, complimented by linear slot diffusers (GSLS) and perforated face diffusers (Series PG) with transfer grilles (Series NV) to maintain compliant air movement.
Key features of Gilberts’ MN diffusers are the operational quietness, smoothness of entrainment of high volumes of fresh air and directional adjustability: each of the nozzles within each diffuser can be individually rotated. Beech Jackson specified the inclusion of cord operated dampers on the plenum spigot to further ensure an ideal learning environment for the pupils, enabling teaching staff to control the diffuser depending on individual requirements throughout the day.
Explained Beech Jackson’s Dan Lewis, “The quietness and adjustability of the MN nozzles were major influencing factors in their specification for Highfurlong: noise and draughts can be major influencing factors on pupil behaviour. We have a long-standing relationship with Gilberts, and know we can rely on the quality of product and service.”
Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Built Environment, said: “Expanding Highfurlong School is a real success story for using local labour. Not only is it increasing key school spaces for Blackpool young people. Our lead architects and main contractors are both from within 20 miles of the school, while we’re using local sub-contractors like Gilberts, to ensure that our investment is spent locally, supporting local jobs and people.”
Founded some six decades ago, today family-owned Gilberts’ 140,000 ft2 head office and manufacturing facility includes its own research and development and test facilities, enabling it to continue to evolve its product range and develop bespoke solutions for specific client requirements. Gilberts is now acknowledged as the UK’s leading independent air movement specialist, offering mechanical, natural and hybrid ventilation solutions.
