When schools need to improve or expand their buildings, the challenge is rarely just about construction. It’s about delivering projects safely in live learning environments, managing programmes around term time, maintaining safeguarding and compliance, and ensuring value for money for public investment.
That’s why many local authorities and education partners rely on trusted delivery partners and established delivery routes. In Staffordshire, Entrust plays a key role in supporting schools with estate development and improvement projects.
Through our work with Entrust, RAEBUILD supports the delivery of new school buildings, refurbishment programmes and modular facilities, helping create safe, modern learning environments for pupils and staff across the county.
What is Entrust?
Entrust is a joint venture between Staffordshire County Council and Capita, established to provide a wide range of services to schools, academies and public sector organisations.
The organisation supports education providers across multiple areas, including property, estates management and facilities services. Within the estates environment, Entrust helps schools plan, procure and deliver building improvements that support safe, compliant and effective learning environments.
For schools, this means access to specialist expertise that can guide projects from early planning stages through to construction delivery.
Supporting school estates across Staffordshire
Investment in school estates continues to play an important role in supporting communities and improving learning environments across Staffordshire.
Projects often include building refurbishments, classroom extensions, structural improvements and new facilities designed to increase capacity, modernise buildings and support evolving educational needs.
Through Entrust-led delivery, schools can access experienced construction partners capable of delivering a wide range of projects — from traditional new-build developments and refurbishments through to modular buildings, temporary classrooms and additional facilities such as toilet blocks or specialist teaching spaces.
This flexible approach allows schools to respond quickly to changes in pupil numbers, curriculum needs and space requirements.
RAEBUILD’s role working with Entrust
Working alongside Entrust, RAEBUILD supports the delivery of school estate projects across Staffordshire, bringing construction expertise across both refurbishment and new-build or redevelopment projects where required.
Projects can range from targeted improvements within existing buildings through to larger programmes designed to expand school capacity or deliver entirely new learning environments.
These works may include:
- Refurbishment and remodelling of teaching spaces
- Extensions to create additional classrooms or specialist facilities
- Structural upgrades and building modernisation
- New school buildings and learning environments
- Modular buildings and temporary classroom solutions
- Additional facilities such as toilet blocks or support spaces
- Specialist buildings and rooms designed to support pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- Energy efficiency and sustainability improvements
Because these projects are often delivered in operational schools, careful planning and collaboration are essential. Working closely with Entrust, schools and local authorities helps ensure works are delivered safely while minimising disruption to teaching and learning.
Delivering projects in live school environments
Construction projects within schools require a specialist approach. Works frequently take place while buildings remain fully operational, meaning safeguarding, pupil safety and site management must remain the highest priorities.
When delivering projects with Entrust, this typically includes:
- Programming works around term-time constraints and holiday periods
- Maintaining safe and secure site separation
- Minimising disruption to classrooms and school operations
- Maintaining clear communication with school leadership teams
- Ensuring full compliance with education sector requirements
This careful approach allows schools to improve their buildings while maintaining a stable learning environment for pupils and staff.
Creating learning environments fit for the future
School buildings play a crucial role in supporting educational outcomes, wellbeing and community engagement. Investment in modern facilities helps schools provide high-quality learning environments while supporting accessibility, sustainability and long-term resilience.
Through our work with Entrust in Staffordshire, RAEBUILD is proud to support projects that help schools evolve their estates — whether through modernising existing buildings, delivering modular learning spaces, or creating specialist facilities designed to support pupils with additional learning needs.
What it means for schools working with RAEBUILD
Working with experienced partners through established delivery routes helps schools and public sector organisations move projects forward with confidence.
By combining Entrust’s expertise in education estate planning with RAEBUILD’s experience delivering projects in live school environments, schools across Staffordshire can benefit from a construction partner that understands the demands of working within operational schools, including safeguarding requirements, secure site management and carefully scheduled works around the school calendar.
This experience helps schools deliver building improvements safely, minimise disruption to teaching and learning, and ensure projects are managed efficiently from planning through to completion.
Paul Edwards, Director at RAEBUILD, said: “For schools, the challenge is often delivering building improvements while keeping education running smoothly. Our work with Entrust allows us to support refurbishment, modular and new-build projects across Staffordshire in a way that respects the realities of live education environments — ensuring safe delivery, clear communication and high-quality outcomes for pupils, staff and communities.”
