CASE STUDY: Brooke Priory School, Oakham
Brooke Priory, an independent prep school based in the heart of Rutland, contacted Notts Sport in September 2022 following a recommendation from Oakham School, wishing to improve its sports facilities, replacing an underused garden within the school grounds.
The requirement for the new facility was a surfacing suitable for hockey, netball, and football, and with the school-age range from 2-11, it needed a design ideal to cover all ages.
The school site required a well-draining base, a long-term performance warranty, and a multi-sport carpet.
By building the pitch with Notts Sports' innovative base construction system, ShockWave Platinum, the construction time was shortened and reduced the project's carbon footprint. In addition, using the system meant fewer lorry visits to the site as half the aggregate was required and eliminated the need for a macadam base. It also offered over 2.2m critical fall height to ensure players' safety.
The facility was designed with the Gen2 multi-use games area surfacing, DOMO Hockey Xtreme MDC, which met the FIH requirements but is also compliant with tennis and netball and suitable for football training.
Notts Sport worked with Hunts Contractors on the project; Managing Director Shaun Drury said, "Hunts Contractors are incredibly proud to have constructed this excellent facility for the school. Throughout the project, we have worked closely with the school team, particularly Duncan and Caroline. This has proven a great partnership, ensuring we fully understood their requirements and could work alongside them without disruption or concern with their school activities.
During this project, we transformed an unusable and awkward space into a fantastic multi-use sports facility to benefit the school and the local community. It will be a great asset to the school in promoting the health and well-being of the pupils.
We have seen first-hand the enthusiasm for the facility within the school during our construction process and are pleased to have delivered on their aspirations and met all their requirements. Working with the school team has been a pleasure, and I wish them and the pupils all the best for their future use and enjoyment of their facility."
Speaking with the Headmaster of Brooke Priory, Mr. Duncan Flint, he said, "Notts Sports were professional and easy to work with. They were accommodating, personable, and extremely knowledgeable. We are delighted with our complete setup; the surface is excellent, as are the surrounds and equipment."
Tom Walton, who oversaw the project, said, "It was brilliant to work on a local project and help to provide the brilliant PE team at the school with a high-quality surface for sport without having to travel. As soon as I spoke to the school about their idea and plans, it was something that I wanted to support. I hope to see the students thrive by playing on a top-level sports surface at Brooke Priory!"