Education fast facts

Our team has undertaken asset valuations across 4,500 education establishments as part of the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s (ESFA) nationwide programme of valuations.

Over the last 10 years, we have delivered £5 billion worth of new educational establishments.

We have delivered £1.5bn worth of schools across four ESFA frameworks in eleven years – over 120 schools – with a further 39 schools worth £512.4m on site and a place on a fifth ESFA framework.

The Berkeley Green and UTC buildings, built by Kier for South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) won the prestigious Project of the Year (£15m-£30m) at the 2018 Construction News Awards.

Since 2012 we have delivered hard and soft facilities management services to the Capital City College Group across nine London sites.
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Delivering on a national scale
Kier is the UK's leading provider of school buildings, delivering over £5 billion worth of educational facilities in the last decade. Together with designing and building schools for early years, primary and secondary education, we also have the capability to maintain and provide back of house services to schools and colleges across the country. We have significant experience within the Higher Education and Universities construction market and our property division is an investor, developer, partner and provider within the student accommodation market.
Supporting learning
We have decades of experience supporting the education sector working with schools, colleges and universities to create a first-class educational environment by building and maintaining first class facilities.
Many of the schemes we undertake are carried out within fully operational ‘live’ environments, this means we need to ensure that our works are carried out with the minimum of impact on the day to day life of the school or college. Our teams are fully DBS checked and fully understand the safety, health and environmental implications of working within these environments and will work with the stakeholders and end users where possible to phase works around the examination timetable and to ensure deliveries are not made during drop off and pick up times.
Technology and innovation
Across all our work, we enhance delivery by making extensive use of 3D and Building Information Modelling (BIM) related technologies which help to reduce through life costs, take account of ongoing maintenance and future changes and help bring to life proposals so that clients and stakeholders can visualise the end results. Our in-house team of specialists provide ICT infrastructure design to schools as part of new build and refurbishment projects.
Facilities management
We provide a full range of facilities management services to ensure that buildings through the educational estate receive ongoing repairs and maintenance together with and essential services such as cleaning, security and grounds maintenance.
For further information
Sharon Mitchell
Senior Business Manager
Kier Property

Louise Bloxham
Head of Communications and Marketing - Kier Specialist Services

Andrew Ernest
Managing Director - Strategic Framework and Alliances
Kier Construction

View our projects
Every project we deliver is an opportunity for us to bring our unique thinking to solve problems, innovate and collaborate with our clients and beyond.
Berkeley Green & UTC South Gloucestershire & Stroud College (SGS)
Rising from the ashes of a decommissioned former nuclear site, SGS Berkeley Green, a converted 1940’s engineering hall, and new University Technical College (UTC) are the first educational buildings to be completed on a new ground-breaking GREEN campus, within Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park.
St Julie’s Catholic High School
Building a new school for 1,100 students within the grounds of the original. Abiding by strict environmental regulations and generating a wealth of social value within the local community.
Astrea Academy Sheffield - Secondary School
Construction of a secondary school to create much-needed school places in north east Sheffield
Cheltenham Ladies College, Fitness Centre
The addition of high-class sport and leisure facilities for one of the UK’s most distinguished private schools has created flexible, multi-purpose spaces wrapped around the existing centre. Alongside a new sports hall, activity studios, squash courts and a gym, are additional changing rooms, a MUGA and new car park.
Astrea Academy Sheffield - Primary School
Restoring a listed local landmark to its former glory to create a brand-new school for North East Sheffield.
Stephen Perse Foundation
The design and construction of a new teaching block and first-class sports facilities.
St Mary’s RC Primary School, Malton
Constructing a new annexe as well as a reconfiguration of the existing school in order to ease pressures on pupil oversubscription.
Dixons Sixth Form
Refurbishment and fit-out of a six-storey 19th-century mill building and coach house with a new build sports hall in Bradford for Dixons Academies Trust, maintaining the building’s heritage and ensuring it is suitable for teaching.
Chemistry of Health, University of Cambridge
Providing space for the study of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Aspect Court Refurbishment
£1m refurbishment of levels five and six of Sheffield Hallam University’s Aspect Court building to create space for degree apprenticeship students and an innovation hub
The Springfield Sixth Form Centre, Dewsbury Learning Quarter
Construction of the Springfield Sixth Form Centre, beginning the development of the Dewsbury Learning Quarter for Kirklees College
The David Attenborough Building
Updating an icon, providing pride of place for Charles Darwin’s finds, creating a prominent spot for a fully-fledged Finback whale, and being test abseiled by Sir David Attenborough.
Stowlawn Primary School
Procured through the Scape National Minor Works Framework, this scheme involved the construction of a new primary school provision at the existing Stowlawn Primary School in Bilston, Wolverhampton. Unique to this project was the building’s existing Passivhaus principals and bespoke brickwork façade.
Spring Vale Primary School
Procured through the Scape National Minor Works Framework, this extension and remodelling project has increased the School’s capacity whilst improving their Ofsted rating from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’.
University of Essex STEM Centre
Creating a state of the art teaching centre for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Waterside Student Residences
A joint venture with Kier Major Projects for the University of Northampton. The project marked the first time Kier had committed to a large-scale Light Gauge Steel (LGS) frame project and is the largest LGS project to date in the UK.
Sensor City
Creating a ‘Knowledge Quarter’ for Liverpool, a collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, delivering a highly adaptable research environment and incubator space for start-ups and SMEs who are developing digital sensor technologies and applications.
Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
A unique, world-class, state of the art neuroscience research institute at University College London.
Slade Green Regeneration
The simultaneous extension and refurbishment of two neighbouring primary schools.
Yr Egin Media and Office Development
Bringing an iconic and sustainable development to the Carmarthen campus of the University of Wales, providing 40,000 sq. ft. of accommodation for for Welsh Media company S4C and the University's new media faculty and offices, and achieving a BREEAM Excellent certificate for sustainability.
Falmouth School Sports Pavilion
The design and construction of a sports pavilion, including FA compliant changing facilities, gym, office space and flexible recreation areas. In addition a first floor balcony was incorporated into the design which overlooks the sports pitches.
Cathedral School
Creating a two-form entry primary school within a Grade 1 listed building.
Harris Girls' Academy Bromley
The demolition, refurbishment and three-story new build of a local all-girls school located in South London.
Oakwood High School
New build secondary school developed under the Education Skills and Funding Agency's (ESFA) Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP), providing modern accommodation with increased pupil capacity and facilities for classrooms, in addition to a Learning Resource Centre which integrates with pupil breakout areas.
National Transport Design Centre
The UK – and Coventry as a city - is well-established as a leader in automotive, aerospace, rail and marine design. Coventry University’s National Transport Design Centre (NTDC) aims to boost design innovation in the transport sector and bridge the current shortfall in creative skills.
Don Valley Academy
New build secondary school developed under the ESFA’s Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP), providing modern accommodation with increased pupil capacity for 1,200 pupils and 300 post-16 students.
Caol Joint Primary School Campus
Designing and constructing of a new joint campus school for The Highland Council to incorporate two neighbouring primary schools, Caol Primary School and St Columba's RC Primary School, together with a community facility.
Huntington Community Primary School
Blending traditional and innovative solutions to create a new-build, two-storey, 420-place primary school and 26-place nursery in Chester.
The Grove School
Undertaking a major refurbishment of a former Council building, originally a late Edwardian school, into a new school in Haringey, for 104 students aged 5–19 who have a primary diagnosis of autism.
Tiger Way
Kier Design and Business Services working in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney to deliver mixed-use developments and education schemes to create revenue for further local investment.
Aureus Secondary School
Delivering a new secondary school on the Great Western Park Development in Didcot, ensuring it was completed in time for the start of the new school year, creating extensive outdoor sports facilities as well as a building for 1,200 students and working alongside contractors delivering housing projects.
Sheffield Hallam University Robert Winston Annexe
£1.4m installation of a modular, two-storey extension onto Sheffield Hallam University’s Robert Winston Building, located on SHU’s Collegiate Campus.
The Chase SEN
Converting and regenerating a disused engineering building at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College to create striking new modern facilities for disabled students.
Alperton Community School
The build of a new school and demolition works of the old premises, increasing capacity from 750 to 1700 pupils.
Degree Apprenticeship Centre
Revolutionary in its design, the first Degree Apprenticeship Centre on the Warwick University Campus marks a new stage in the University’s teaching programme. The new three-storey 2,400m² innovative development centre provides a bridge from education to industry.
Bartholomew School
Enhancing the estate of an already ‘outstanding’ Ofsted school to provide up-to-date facilities, fit for 21st-century learning.
Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls
Building a brand new 8 form of entry school situated in Thamesmead in South East London. The new school holds 1,200 pupils and includes teaching spaces, science laboratories, ICT suites, a dance studio, art and music rooms plus a large four court sports hall and hard court play area.
HMP Five Wells
The new prison at Wellingborough will be an adult male Category C resettlement prison, designed to enhance rehabilitation. The project is embracing a Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) and integrating digital tools to drive efficiencies in the design, construction and operation of the facility.
The Institute for Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies (IMPACT)
New state-of-the-art research centre, the Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies (IMPACT) building, situated on the Swansea University Bay Campus provides future proof, highly specialised laboratories for fundamental and applied research and delivers a high impact, transformative research environment for industry and academia to collaborate in advanced engineering and materials.
Hawthorne Primary and Nursery School
A modern primary school in Bestwood, Nottinghamshire, for an expanding local community that involved pupils throughout the build delivered through the Scape Minor Works Framework by Kier and Arc Partnership
Swansea IQ and YFforwm Development (SA1)
Delivering £32m first phase of new Swansea Waterfront Innovation Quarter to provide a 21st-century state of the art education facility to attract students from all over the world to the University of Wales Trinity St David.
Ericsson - Radio Access Network Framework
The RAN (Radio Access Network) is the technology used in the UK to allow mobile phones to transmit and receive data and voice services. Ericsson are a leading provider of RAN access to many of the UK’s mobile networks and in 2013, we were appointed by Ericsson to maintain its RAN assets to keep the UK’s 4G and 5G networks live and operational
Springhead Park Primary School
Springhead Park Primary School is a brand new modular two-form of entry with additional 26 nursery spaces in Ebbsfleet, Kent. The new schools holds 420 pupils ages from 3 – 11. The building includes teaching space, food tech facilities, science laboratories, multi-use agency space and hard court play area.
Northstowe Secondary College
Delivering a 600 place Secondary School with 12 form of entry core facilities, as well as a 110 place SEN School and Energy Centre for Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council.
Alness Academy – virtual transition model
With Covid-19 restrictions preventing in person site visits, our virtual transition model supports pupils and teachers to familiarise themselves with their new building and access useful information to support their transition and adjustment to the new school environment.
Leaving a lasting legacy: Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School
Construction of a new £30m building for Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School, providing 1,200 school places and ensuring social value was delivered throughout the project.
Iffley Academy
New-build construction of a community Special Academy judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2019, for pupils up to the age of 18 with complex special educational needs and disabilities. The new academy replaces unfit for purpose old buildings, adding animal care, horticulture and construction facilities, a mock flat and pupil-run café.
Whitelands Academy, Kingsmere
A brand new 600 pupil secondary academy school for years 7-11, built to support Kingsmere, a new housing development in south-west Bicester. Constructed to BREEAM principles, the academy features 26-classrooms, SEN provision, a four-court sports hall built and fitted to Sport England standard, external social spaces and multi-use games areas.
Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School
Design and construction of two replacement buildings as part of a 1,100 pupil school in Canterbury, Kent, providing 7,500m² of teaching space across a range of traditional classrooms and learning areas with specialist areas for art, science and technology. The second phase, currently underway, includes asbestos clearance, demolition of the existing school buildings, construction of a car park and MUGA area.
Hartsdown Academy
Hartsdown Academy is a secondary school with academy status located in Margate, Kent for circa 1000 students aged 11 to 18. The project was completed over two phases where phase one comprised of the demolition of two existing school buildings and the construction of a new three storey teaching block. Phase two involved the demolition of three existing school buildings and the installation of a new pre-fabricated modular building.
Spa School, Camberwell
Spa School Camberwell is a co-educational special school for students aged 5 to 16 with autism. Construction works included the structural alteration, internal remodelling and fit out of a three storey Victorian building with a three storey new build extension. It has the capacity for 120 students and 80 staff.
Cattle Market Road, Bristol
Saving carbon, fuel and costs through the use of Solar Hybrid Towers at Cattle Market Road site in Bristol
Ponteland School & Leisure Centre
Ponteland School & Leisure Centre features a 420-place primary school and a 1,600-place secondary school, a state-of-the-art leisure centre with swimming pools, aqua play, spa, gym, climbing walls, dance studios, soft play zone, a 3G sports pitch, bar, cafés, library and a new community fire station.
Ebbsfleet Green Primary School
The design and construction of a new modular build 2FE primary school within Ebbsfleet Garden City, Kent, catering for students ranging from nursery to year six. The school also includes specialist resources for up to 15 pupils with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder plus a 26-place nursery.
The Heights Primary School, Reading
Constructing a new primary school to address the shortage of pupil places in Reading, Berkshire.
Netherthird Primary School
We have been appointed by East Ayrshire Council to deliver the £8.5m new build Netherthird Primary School in Cumnock. The new school will accommodate 278 pupils in nine classrooms with four supported learning spaces and a new outdoor learning zone and play area.
First Light Pavilion
Award winning £20.5m First Light Pavilion at Jodrell Bank delivered for the University of Manchester. The brand-new discovery centre, which has the largest reinforced concrete dome in Europe, creates a first-class attraction demonstrating Jodrell Bank’s world-leading place in the history of astronomy.
Addington Valley Academy
Design and construction of an all through SEND school, funded by the Department for Education and managed by Orchard Hill College Academy Trust. The school specialises in autism and complex needs for up to 150 pupils aged 2–19 and offers a wide variety of special learning environments including sensory/calm spaces and emotional literacy support rooms.
HMP Five Wells
Design and construction of an adult male Category C resettlement prison, designed to enhance rehabilitation. As a project integrator, Kier used a Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) component-led approach to deliver the project, setting new standards for excellence in modern methods of construction (MMC), innovation and digital technologies.
" The new St. Hilda’s School will provide a tremendous boost for thousands of present and future generations of school children and ensure they get the most out of their learning. The team has ensured that this process has begun from the earliest stages. Kier has worked diligently in delivering this complex project on a very tight site, located very close to a live school and two blocks of residential flats. They have delivered on time and budget and have exceeded our expectations from the start to finish. "Simon McEneny Assistant Director Physical Assets, Liverpool City Council