Albany Academy, Chorley
Heating and Hot Water System UpgradeAlbany Academy, an 11 to 16 secondary school in Chorley serving around 800 students and staff, commissioned Vital Synergy to replace a failing heating and hot water system that had become unreliable and costly to maintain. Delivered across three phases between 2024 and 2026, covering pre-construction planning, a complete renewal of the main boiler plant and building heating, and a new heating installation for the previously unheated sports hall, the £910,000 project introduced high-efficiency boiler plant, modern BMS controls and a fully compliant plant room. Working alongside consultant Lea Hough, every phase was confined to school holiday periods to protect term-time learning, with full safeguarding controls in place for all engineers on site.
Client Overview
Albany Academy is an 11 to 16 secondary school in Chorley, Lancashire, serving around 800 students and staff. The school needed a full renewal of its failing heating and hot water system, including a standalone sports hall block that had no functional heating, while keeping the academy open and operational throughout.
Albany Academy is an occupied school site governed by safeguarding, pupil safety and a fixed academic calendar. Works were confined to holiday periods, all engineers held valid DBS clearance, and term start deadlines were treated as non-negotiable throughout the programme.
The old boiler plant, dating to 2009, was decommissioned and removed, and a new high-efficiency condensing array of four gas-fired boilers, each rated at around 280kW, was installed in its place. Together the array provides over 1MW of combined output against a circa 900kW demand, with built-in redundancy. New primary pipework, pumps, pressurisation units and expansion vessels were fitted alongside an insulated plate heat exchanger, segregating the new primary circuit from the existing secondary system.
Circulation pumps were replaced with variable-speed models, improving efficiency and allowing precise zonal regulation across the academy. A dedicated boiler plant and distribution system was installed for the sports hall, including low-temperature radiators, new pipework and destratification fans to deliver uniform warmth across the previously unheated space.
The Building Management System was modernised and expanded with new sensors and controls, enabling precise zonal temperature control and automated safety monitoring of the boiler plant. Ventilation interlocks were installed for gas safety compliance, and the sports hall was integrated into the BMS for unified scheduling and remote monitoring.
Licensed specialists removed asbestos from the old plant room ahead of demolition, and the hot water system underwent Legionella disinfection and flushing before reoccupation. Each phase was fully tested and commissioned, with O&M documentation and training provided to site managers on completion.
Key Outcomes and Benefits
Over 1MW of combined output installed against a circa 900kW demand, with built-in redundancy across the new boiler array.
Three phases delivered across school holiday periods between 2024 and 2026, keeping term-time learning undisturbed.
Zero incidents recorded during the main plant replacement on a live, occupied campus.
Reliable heating and plentiful hot water restored across the whole academy for around 800 students and staff.
A previously unheated sports hall block is now fully usable with dedicated, year-round heating.
High-efficiency boilers and intelligent controls are projected to reduce consumption, running costs and carbon emissions.
Project Detail
The Albany Academy heating and hot water upgrade was planned and delivered around the realities of a live, occupied secondary school. Safeguarding, pupil safety and a fixed academic calendar governed every stage, from pre-construction planning in 2024 through to the final sports hall phase in summer 2026.
Each phase was scoped and sequenced with the school and its consultant, Lea Hough, to confine the most disruptive works to holiday periods and protect the non-negotiable term start deadline.
Compliance and Safety
All engineers held valid DBS clearance and signed in under the school's visitor policy for the duration of the works. Detailed method statements and risk assessments underpinned daily briefings, and work areas were isolated with physical barriers and signage to keep pupils and staff away from active construction zones.
Asbestos identified in the old plant room was removed by licensed specialists under controlled conditions ahead of demolition. The completed plant is fully compliant with current gas safety and ventilation standards, and Phase 3 will follow a robust Construction Phase Plan in line with CDM Regulations, with segregated work zones, temporary fencing and daily permit-to-work controls.
Programme and Delivery
Works were aligned with school closures throughout, with the heaviest noise and lifting operations, including scaffolding for a new flue, confined to early summer. The programme was coordinated around a summer learning programme of 70 to 80 pupils on site, and essential heating was returned online before the late August term start.
Close coordination with the school administration and Lea Hough kept the programme on track. The upgraded main plant was fully commissioned and handed over by mid-September 2025, and the remaining Phase 3 works at the sports hall are confined to off-peak hours or a half-term break to avoid any disruption to lessons.
Technical Scope Summary
A summary of the key systems upgraded across the project:
Bringing heating to our sports hall for the first time has made a real difference to staff and students. Vital Synergy managed all three phases of this project smoothly, and the new boiler plant has been far more reliable than what we had before.
Site Manager, Albany Academy
