West Midlands
Construction
Bishop Vesey Grammar School Learning Resource Centre
“A modern, inclusive and supportive environment for sixth form students, delivered on time and within budget.”
Contracts Manager, Stepnell
Stepnell has completed a £6.45m sixth form learning centre at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield, replacing temporary mobile classrooms with a permanent, purpose-built space that gives sixth form students the environment they deserve.
Procured via the Procure Partnerships Framework
Named after former pupil Robert Lowndes, who donated funds towards the project, the works included a two-and-a-half-storey extension to the existing building at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School. This extension provides a permanent structure for sixth form learning, which had previously taken place in mobile classrooms.
What the £6.45m Investment Delivered
The £6.45m investment delivered a significant transformation of the school’s facilities, including a modern library, additional classrooms to support growing student numbers, and an expanded dining space to improve the overall student experience. It also introduced dedicated social and study areas, creating more opportunities for both collaborative and independent learning. Central to the development is a two-and-a-half storey permanent extension, which has fully replaced all previous mobile classrooms, providing a more stable, long-term environment better suited to high-quality teaching and learning.
Working on a live site, Stepnell ensured consistent contact with Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School throughout the project, with weekly site visits to track progress and support collaboration.
A Permanent Home for Sixth Form Learning
Procured through the Procure Partnerships West Midlands Framework, Stepnell’s Robert Lowndes Centre gives Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School a future ready space built to serve current students and generations to come.
The Direct Award call-off method provided Bishop Vesey’s with a fast, efficient route to appointing a contractor with proven further education experience.
Our Team Is Ready
If you’d like to discuss the right framework and delivery partner for you then please get in touch.
“It has been a pleasure supporting this project through the procurement stages to ensure the right contractor partner was on board to deliver Bishop Vesey’s new sixth form learning centre.
“At Procure Partnerships, it is not only important that our projects provide excellent facilities for the end user but that they leave a lasting impact on the wider community. Stepnell has exceeded social value expectations across the board while overcoming challenges of a live, operational site.”
Lauren Oxland
Key Account Manager (West)
“Our expertise in creating dedicated further education facilities was key to delivering a modern, inclusive and supportive environment for sixth form students at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School. The new centre not only enriches the school’s learning environment but also accommodates its growing student body, and we are proud to have helped the school achieve these goals on time and within budget.”
“We understand how important the learning environment is for fostering growth and encouraging engagement, so it has been brilliant to see the centre now open for current students and generations to come.”
Chris Kirby
Contracts Manager at Stepnell
“The learning resource centre was a complex project where we were dealing with limited space and a live site where normal school day to day activity had to continue.
“From pre-construction contract engagement to building strong stakeholder relationships and engaging pupils on careers in construction, Stepnell’s quality of service far exceeded our expectations. By keeping disturbances to a minimum and the ability to adapt and pivot where necessary, this lead to a very successful conclusion where all required outcomes were met. We simply wouldn’t have the amazing building that we have now for our students without Stepnell.”
Graham Swindells
Finance and Operations director at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School