Roseacre Primary Academy & Nursery, Blackpool
Comprehensive Heating System UpgradeRoseacre Primary Academy & Nursery in Blackpool required a full modernisation of its outdated heating system to improve energy efficiency, reduce running costs, and enhance comfort for staff and pupils. Vital Synergy designed and installed a complete new heating solution, replacing aging distribution pipework with 78 high-efficiency emitters and an advanced Building Management System. The project introduced air conditioning in six classrooms and future-proofed the plant room for low-carbon upgrade. All works were delivered with minimal disruption through careful phasing around term times, out-of-hours working, and proactive asbestos management.
Client Overview
A large primary school campus in Blackpool serving nursery and primary-age pupils across multiple buildings. The academy trust identified an urgent need to replace inefficient, aging heating infrastructure that was costly to operate and delivering inconsistent comfort across the site. The client required a fully operational school throughout the works, making programme management and stakeholder communication central to the project.
Working within a live primary school placed specific demands on sequencing, safety, and site conduct. All works were phased around the school calendar, with disruptive activities scheduled during school holidays and out of hours. Asbestos management was a key consideration, requiring early surveying and licensed removal before any affected areas could be progressed. Low surface-temperature emitters were specified throughout nursery and SEN areas to meet safeguarding requirements.
Full replacement of Low Temperature Hot Water (LTHW) distribution pipework throughout all school buildings, with phenolic thermal insulation and identification labelling applied throughout. Seventy-eight new heating emitters installed across every room and space, including radiators, fan convector units, radiant panels, and low surface-temperature (LST) units where child safety required them.
New 600 kW plate heat exchanger installed to provide hydraulic separation between the retained primary boiler circuit and the new secondary distribution system. New pressurisation unit, expansion vessels, pumps, filters, and valves commissioned in the plant room. Advanced Building Management System (BMS) and per-room thermostatic controls installed, with motorised valves and actuators providing granular zoning to classroom level.
Six new air-conditioning units installed across Year 4 and Year 5 classrooms (three per floor), complete with refrigeration pipework, controls integration, and dedicated electrical supplies. New electrical circuits, wiring, and control panels provided for all heating and cooling installations, including fused spurs and distribution board connections throughout the building.
Full BSRIA-compliant system flush and chemical dosing, with all circuits balanced and commissioned to design flow rates. BMS controls engineer commissioned and verified the new control system, sensors, and scheduling. Formal witness commissioning test carried out with client representatives. Comprehensive handover package issued including O&M manuals, as-built drawings, updated asset register, Gas Safe, electrical test, and Building Regulations completion certificates.
Key Outcomes and Benefits
A full campus-wide replacement covering every room and space with appropriately specified emitters, including low surface-temperature units in nursery and SEN areas to meet safeguarding requirements.
Three units each in Year 4 and Year 5 classrooms, providing comfort cooling during warmer months and addressing a longstanding request from school staff that had not previously been met.
Per-room thermostatic and BMS controls replace a previously unzoned, continuously running system, delivering automatic scheduling, energy monitoring, and precise temperature management across the entire campus.
All systems signed off with Gas Safe, BS 7671 electrical test, and Building Regulations completion certificates. Full O&M documentation, as-built drawings, and a comprehensive asset register issued to the client.
Nine-month programme from initial planning to formal handover, sequenced around the school calendar with close coordination between Vital Synergy and the school throughout. All milestone dates met without disruption to pupils or teaching.
The new plate heat exchanger and pre-installed connection stubs allow an air-source heat pump or second boiler to be added without reworking the distribution system, giving the school a clear pathway to net-zero heating.
Project Detail
The project was designed, procured and delivered in full compliance with current UK Building Regulations and applicable British Standards. Health and safety management was embedded throughout the programme under a CDM 2015 Construction Phase Plan, with regular toolbox talks and worker inductions carried out from mobilisation through to handover.
Asbestos surveying and licensed removal were completed before any works commenced in affected areas. Close coordination with the school's leadership team ensured every phase of the programme was aligned with the school calendar, maintaining full operational continuity for pupils and staff throughout.
Compliance and Safety
A refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey was carried out prior to works commencing, identifying asbestos-containing materials in older sections of the building. A Prime Cost sum was allocated for licensed specialist removal, with all contaminated areas cleared and certificated before installation works proceeded in those zones. All heating installations were designed in accordance with Building Regulations Part L for energy efficiency, with phenolic insulation applied to all new pipework to minimise heat losses and reduce boiler run-hours.
Electrical installations were carried out in accordance with BS 7671 (IET Wiring Regulations), with all new circuits tested and certified on completion. The Gas Safe certificate was issued following commissioning of the retained Alpha ARES 350 kW boiler and new plant room equipment. A Building Regulations completion certificate was obtained confirming full compliance of the new heating and cooling systems with current statutory requirements.
Programme and Delivery
On-site work commenced in October 2024 with asbestos removal carried out under controlled conditions in late October. Main heating installation proceeded zone by zone through late 2024 and early 2025, with the Reception and Year 1 block completed first, followed by the Nursery, library, assembly hall, and remaining classroom zones in sequence. Out-of-hours and weekend working was used for corridor pipe installations and any tasks requiring temporary interruption to heating services, minimising impact on lessons.
A formal commissioning witness test was carried out on 25 April 2025 with the client's representatives present, verifying that all circuits were balanced, controls were operating correctly, and all safety interlocks were functional. The updated asset register listing all new equipment and future service schedules was issued on 29 April 2025 as part of the final handover package, giving the school a complete record of the new installation for ongoing facilities management.
The new heating system installed by Vital Synergy has made a real difference to comfort and reliability across the school. Their team worked carefully around the school day, keeping disruption to pupils and staff to an absolute minimum, and we're already seeing the benefit in our energy costs.
Premises Manager · Roseacre Primary Academy & Nursery, Blackpool
