Hardenhuish School

About Hardenhuish School

Hardenhuish School, a co-educational secondary school, in Chippenham, Wiltshire is set in the picturesque parkland of the former Hardenhuish Manor and Chippenham Grammar School. The school is committed to creating an environment that supports academic excellence, while fostering social, personal, and recreational development. As a high-performing academy, Hardenhuish School places student well-being at the heart of its mission, ensuring they are equipped to thrive.

Secondary School Toilets Refurbishment Brief

As part of its ongoing commitment to improvement, the school undertook a refurbishment of its school washrooms across three blocks. The project focused on replacing outdated facilities, including the removal of existing urinals, to increase the number of school toilet cubicles and enhance the overall washroom provisions. In line with modern safeguarding practices, the school aimed to redesign its washrooms with open doorways, allowing staff to monitor the spaces easily from the circulation corridors.

Consultation and Toilet Cubicle Selection

Sarah Palmer MRICS, Senior Chartered Building Surveyor at Kendall Kingscott, led the project in collaboration with the Principal Contractors, Wilkins Builders. Following a colleague’s recommendation, Sarah consulted with Bushboard Washrooms to discuss the specific requirements for the school toilet refurbishment.

Privacy was a key concern, particularly given the open doorways into the school toilets from circulation spaces. To address this, Sarah chose Bushboard’s HiZone for Schools toilet cubicle range in Grey Oak and Pastel Green. This range is designed to meet Department for Education guidelines for secondary school washrooms, offering full-height cubicles with a 5mm door clearance and partitions extending to the floor. This design helps to prevent bullying, anti-social behaviour, and the inappropriate use of mobile phones within school toilet cubicles.

Durable Washroom Materials for Secondary School Environment

Bushboard supplied robust and durable washroom materials such as Solid Grade Laminate panels, paired with satin anodised aluminium fixtures and fittings which meant that the washrooms were easy to maintain and withstand high traffic in busy breaktimes. Bushboard’s Washtrough for Schools, manufactured in Pebble Solid Surface, was selected for its seamless design, which minimises internal joints – crucial for allowing an easy, regular cleaning routine within the school washrooms. The Solid Surface Washtroughs also support higher handwashing capacity, an essential feature in school washrooms where hygiene is a top priority.

Efficient Installation and Project Support

With a tight timeline for competition during school holidays, Bushboard’s Ezeeduct panels were delivered pre-fitted to a rigid steel frame, ensuring fast and efficient installation. The hinged and lockable panels provided allow for easy maintenance access, but secure enough to restrict unauthorised use.

Sarah praised Bushboard’s end-to-end service, from sales through to delivery. The project was also supported by Bushboard’s preferred installer program, with Shire Integrated Systems handling the installation. Bushboard and Shire’s expertise in fitting washroom solutions for schools provided valuable support during the design phase which Sarah found simplified the entire process.

Positive Feedback on Refurbished Secondary School Toilets

The newly refurbished school washrooms have received glowing feedback from Hardenhuish School, with staff and students loving the upgraded school toilet cubicles and improved facilities.