How we solved two space issues with one solution at St Michael’s High School

Posted on 25th September 2018 | Posted in Completed Installations, Education

Working in schools is our bread and butter. Primary schools, special schools, middle schools and high schools, we’ve worked with them all over the last 30 years.

And we continue to do so.

We recently spent a week at St Michael’s High School in Chorley who, like many schools these days, had outgrown their existing dining space. This meant their dining hall was fit to bursting every break time. They’d also run out of general seating space too.

Lack of space was a real issue…

St Michael’s wanted to create a multi-use area that could be used for dining space and double up for everyday use. Initially, they had intended to install a brick extension and had obtained several quotes from different companies.

However, it was essential that their chosen solution would tick all of their boxes. So, they brought us in.

We’ve helped countless schools, as well as other educational establishments, including nurseries and colleges, create additional space that meets their needs and comes in on-budget too.

…and this is how we solved the problem

After an initial site visit and talking to St Michael’s about their requirements, we recommended they install one of our Cantabria canopies.

We decided on the Cantabria for several reasons, including the fact it would provide the school with a fully enclosed area that was equipped with heating and lights. Plus, with its sliding glass slides and retractable roof (that can be opened and closed at the touch of a button), St Michael’s would be able to literally open up the space during the summer.

Having installed literally hundreds of school dining canopies, we’ve encountered countless installation challenges and St Michael’s was no exception.

Getting the site canopy-ready

The area where the Cantabria had been earmarked for installation was in a poor state. While the area may have been tarmacked, the surface was too bumpy.

But after carrying out some groundwork, which involved installing a concrete slab cast that was level and strong enough to secure the canopy against the wind, the site was canopy-ready.

‘The best of both worlds’

So, that’s another school that no longer has to worry about not having enough dining or seating space, thanks to Canopies UK. In fact, St Michael’s say that their new canopy has given them the best of both worlds between a brick extension and generic roof-only canopy. They also stuck to their budget too.

Are you a school that’s struggling for dining and/or seating space right now? Contact us on 01254 777 002 or email karen@canopiesuk.co.uk to arrange a free survey or find out more about our school dining canopies.

In the meantime, read about how we helped Winstanley College create much-needed dining and study space in this blog, ‘How we served up a large helping of additional space at Winstanley College.’