Gleeds supported the Department for Education in delivering Surrey University Maths School (SuMS), a specialist sixth form in Guildford, Surrey. The project involved the complex refurbishment of an existing office building into a fully compliant education estate. When significant fire safety issues were uncovered during construction, Gleeds led technical, commercial and stakeholder response to protect quality and public value. Completed in January 2026, the school now provides purpose-designed facilities that are already benefiting students and the wider community.
SuMS is a specialist mathematics school providing dedicated facilities for 200 students aged 16 to 19. The project involved the heavy refurbishment and reconfiguration of an existing three-storey, 2,690m² office building, transforming open-plan commercial floorplates into a tailored learning environment designed to support a focused and academically ambitious curriculum. The full works required a comprehensive internal reorganisation to create high-quality classrooms, breakout and collaboration spaces, staff areas and upgraded building services. A key feature of the scheme is the showcase classroom with bespoke tiered seating, designed to accommodate lecture-style teaching, student briefings and collaborative learning sessions that reflect the school’s academic ethos.
Gleeds acted as Lead Technical Advisor to the Department for Education, providing project management, employer’s agent, cost management and health and safety advisory services throughout the project lifecycle. In addition to overseeing the permanent refurbishment works, Gleeds also managed and administered a separate temporary accommodation project to ensure the school had suitable facilities in place ahead of occupation of the completed building.
Two months into the construction programme, intrusive investigations by the main contractor identified significant firestopping deficiencies within the base build construction. These issues rendered elements of the building non-compliant with fire safety regulations and presented a substantial risk to cost certainty and the planned opening date. Gleeds led the response to this challenge, undertaking a detailed technical assessment of the proposed rectification works with support from specialist consultants. The team rigorously reviewed the scope to ensure that the solutions were compliant, proportionate and represented value for money, safeguarding the appropriate use of public funds. At the same time, we worked closely with the contractor to mitigate programme impacts through resequencing and coordinated planning wherever possible.
Equally important was engagement with the school and associated educational trust. The discovery of compliance issues had the potential to undermine confidence and disrupt operational planning. Through proactive communication and careful expectation management, Gleeds maintained strong relationships with stakeholders, ensuring transparency around decision-making risks and revised timelines. Despite complexities, the project reached completion in January 2026 and has now entered the defects rectification period, which continues to be carefully managed between Gleeds, the school and the contractor’s aftercare team. Students are now occupying the building and benefiting from the purpose-designed environment that supports high-level mathematical study and collaboration. The scheme is already having a positive impact on the local area, strengthening specialist post-16 educational provision and creating a lasting legacy for future cohorts.
