the educator mag Jan 26 - Flipbook - Page 64
WHAT MOST SCHOOLS DON'T KNOW ABOUT
TEMPORARY CLASSROOMS
There's a flexible alternative to modular cabins - and it might change how you think about temporary space
When schools face a capacity crisis, the solution usually looks
the same: a row of modular cabins lined up on the
playground. Functional, yes. But rarely designed around how
the school actually works.
Finished to the standard your students deserve
Temporary doesn't mean basic. Our clearspan structures are
fitted out to create comfortable, fully operational teaching
environments.
What if there was another option?
KITCHENETTE
FIRE
EXIT
LOCKERS
STORE
ROOM
CLASSROOM
ACCESS
RAMP
Clearspan structures offer something different. They're
engineered, modular buildings that can be constructed to
virtually any size and configured around what needs to fit
inside - not the other way around.
OFFICE
CHILD WC
CLASSROOM
LOCKERS
CLASSROOM
Clearspan structures: the alternative
ADULT WC
CLASSROOM
STORE
SUPPLIES
Then there's the layout limitation. Fixed unit sizes mean your
space adapts to the product, not the other way around.
Need six classrooms, a small office, and accessible toilets in
one connected space? You'll likely end up with separate
blocks and outdoor walkways between them. Most schools
assume this is just how temporary space works.
CLASSROOM
STUDY / COMMON
ROOM
LOCKERS
Modular cabins have their place. But they come with
constraints that schools often accept as inevitable.Cabins
require reinforced concrete bases. If your school doesn't have
a suitable hardstanding footprint available, this groundwork
must be installed first - adding weeks to the timeline and
significant cost to the budget. Fabrication alone can take
twelve weeks or more before a cabin even arrives on site.
LOCKERS
The cabin compromise
CLASSROOM
STORE ROOM
ACCESS
RAMP
Infant school layout: Two classrooms, store room, three children's toilets with sinks,
staff toilet, and private changing room - all connected internally with a single
secure entrance.
The key difference is flexibility. Clearspan structures have no
internal columns or load-bearing walls, so the interior layout is
completely open. You design the space you need classrooms, corridors, toilets, storage, office space, common
areas - all within a single connected structure.
Since they're built on-site rather than fabricated off-site and
delivered, we can mobilise and begin construction within one
to two weeks of confirmation. Clearspan structures can also
be installed on a range of ground conditions, including
ground that isn't level - no reinforced concrete base required.
Secondary school sixth form unit: Four classrooms with built-in locker areas, student
common room with kitchenette, and staff office - one fully connected structure
designed around how students and staff actually use the space.
Temperature control keeps the space usable year-round.
Windows provide natural light. Internal lighting is designed for
comfort, not just function. Doorways include visibility panels,
soft closers, and finger guards - the same protections you'd
expect in any permanent school building. The finished space
looks and feels like a proper classroom, not a temporary
compromise.
We understand the pressure you're under
Temporary classrooms usually follow something stressful:
emergency repairs, fire damage, flooding, RAAC discovery,
or a building project that's run over. The last thing you need is
a space solution that creates more problems.
The question worth asking
If your school is facing a capacity challenge, it's worth
knowing that cabins aren't the only solution.
Clearspan structures won't be right for every situation. But for
schools that need speed, flexibility, custom layouts, or space
on difficult ground, they offer an alternative that most people
don't know exists.
A short conversation is usually enough to work out whether it's
the right fit.
TEMPSPAN delivers temporary classroom, office, and
institutional space solutions across the UK. We specialise in
custom-designed clearspan structures for schools,
academies, NHS trusts, and public sector organisations.
Phone: 020 8106 8974 Email: team@tempspan.com
