Customer: Lord Williams's School               

Location: Thame, Oxfordshire

Requirement: When Lord Williams's School - the largest secondary school in Oxfordshire - enhanced its curriculum with a new GNVQ course in Estates and Fisheries Management, it needed to provide specific new teaching accommodation. The new building had to offer the right facilities in the right location for students taking this very specialised course, which includes many visits and outdoor activities.

Solution: The building needed to be located in an area of the site with good road access, and needed to include a large storeroom, plus a separate cloakroom where students could remove wet clothes and boots before entering the classroom.

Site Manager, John Smith, says: "We invited tenders from a number of building suppliers, which were closely scrutinised by our senior managers and governors. Portakabin was chosen to provide the building for a number of reasons.

"Firstly, the build quality was outstanding, meeting all modern standards and exceeding anything offered by the competition. Secondly, the fact that Portakabin was an approved building supplier to the county's insurer, Zurich Municipal, was a very important factor. The warranties supplied with Portakabin buildings were also closely examined by our senior team, and were another key point in the company's favour."

The Titan Building System from Portakabin provided precisely the facilities the school was looking for and, in close consultation with the school, Portakabin adapted the building to meet the specific requirements of the GNVQ course. It was supplied with whiteboards, extra ICT positions, integrated blinds and additional electric sockets. The building incorporated an entrance lobby with benches and coat hooks, a large, lockable walk-in storage area and a bright, spacious main classroom.

The school was assured of timely delivery of the building by the unique Portakabin Customer Charter, which promises that all buildings will be delivered on time and on budget. Portakabin even promises that if it ever fails to meet this commitment it will provide an additional six months' product warranty, free of charge.* The building at Lord Williams's School was delivered during the half-term break to minimise disruption to the school, and was erected and fitted out in a matter of days.

John says: "The service from Portakabin was first class all the way. They were diligent and informative at all stages, helping us with everything from the planning process to advising us on the foundations. They provided reassurance every step of the way and no query was too small.

"The vast experience of the Portakabin people really showed and was a real benefit to the project. They visited the site to talk us through the full process, and everything was meticulously planned. Such expert preparation meant that nothing was left to chance, and when the building was delivered everything ran smoothly. The delivery and fit out ran to schedule and all the work was completed efficiently and professionally. I didn't even have to write a snagging list, because there simply weren't any snags.

"We have been very impressed by Portakabin, and everyone here is happy with the new building. It provides exactly the accommodation we needed for our new course."

* Terms and Conditions apply. A copy is available on request.