St. Wilfrids RC College

We were appointed to carry out the full design and build of a refurbishment and extension project at St Wilfrid’s RC College in South Shields. The scheme involved the transformation of an existing wing of the college alongside the construction of a new build extension to improve teaching space and support the school’s long-term educational needs.

At the time, the college was operating in spaces not originally intended to accommodate the current volume of students. Now operating as an Academy, the school secured funding to undertake this important upgrade, enabling the delivery of modern, fit-for-purpose teaching accommodation that would also ease pressures on timetabling and classroom availability.

Design development began following confirmation of funding, allowing plans for both the refurbishment and new build elements to progress in parallel. The project was carefully phased to ensure that internal refurbishment works could be completed during the summer recess, while demolition and foundation works for the new build were also strategically programmed during this period to avoid disruption to the college and its pupils.

The refurbishment element included the full internal modernisation of the existing two-storey Science and Art/Technology wing, which houses 16 classrooms and two offices. Works also included external enhancements, such as potential ventilation upgrades with louvre installations, a new window film system, and the replacement of the existing roof with a new Sarnafil membrane system to improve building performance.

The new build phase comprised the construction of a two-storey teaching block, forming an extension to the existing Science and Art/Technology building. This new structure was developed on the footprint of the former single-storey Resistant Materials Workshop, extending northwards to complete the courtyard layout of the teaching complex.

Northern Bear worked closely with the college and design teams to ensure smooth delivery of the works, minimising disruption to the school’s operations while delivering modern, flexible learning environments aligned with the needs of a growing Academy.