Blue Bell Hill School, Nottingham

Railings Form a Major Part of School Refurbishment

Bluebell Hill Primary School in St Anne’s in Nottingham is now benefiting from new railings and gates, as part of a major refurbishment.

The railings and gates, which were manufactured by local bespoke architectural metalwork company Alpha Rail, based in Kirby in Ashfield, were created from designs originally inspired by the children at the school. All pupils at the school were asked to contribute their ideas for the design of the gates, with many incorporating the bluebell theme and others featuring young people carrying out various sporting activities, for which the school is well known locally.

Joanne Phelan, Landscape Architect from Groundwork Greater Nottingham, said: “This was a fantastic project to be involved with. We worked closely with Alpha Rail to bring to life the designs that the children had put forward to make sure that the gates are as representative of the school and its activities as possible. The new gates have replaced old brick pillars and railings that were ready for refurbishment. The overall effect is a much improved appearance to the front of the school.”

Alpha Rail supplied 12m of vertical bar railings with a secure and aesthetically pleasing flat top, plus a pair of gates to the project. The railings and gates were supplied powder coated in black and the decorative detailing of the blue bell and the images of young people were site-painted in blue to reflect the school’s corporate colours. The railings were supplied through landscape contractor Crestra, who carried out the installation.

Phil Ball, Sales Director of Alpha Rail, explains: “The railings provide a high level of security to the school building and the design of the gates provides a graphic demonstration of the ethos of the school. The high quality manufacture of the railings and gates and the fact that they are powder coated means they will give exceptional performance for many years to come.”

Bluebell Hill Primary School is one of five schools in the St Anne’s area to be refurbished, as part of a project part-funded by the National Lottery, Experian and the School’s education departments. The works at Bluebell Hill Primary School included ground levelling in preparation for the creation of a multi-use games area, the re-surfacing and addition of two basketball courts to the old playground, plus new plant beds added to the entrance area.

Alpha Rail has over 25 years’ experience in urban regeneration, green space and park restoration. The company provides a bespoke service for architectural metalwork and has supplied many prestigious projects, including school grounds, parks and housing estates with new gates and railings.