Clitheroe Royal Grammar School Sixth Form, Clitheroe
Phase 1: Heating System UpgradeVital Synergy delivered a time-critical heating upgrade at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School's Sixth Form site, replacing a failing oil-fired heating plant and half of the school's aged distribution system with a modern, energy-efficient gas heating solution. Phase 1 was completed on schedule within a tight summer works window, restoring reliable heating to the Sixth Form's main building with no safety incidents and minimal disruption to the occupied school, while laying the groundwork for the subsequent Phase 2 works.
Client Overview
CRGS's Sixth Form centre occupies a mix of heritage and modern buildings in Lancashire. By early 2025, its main building heating system, reliant on a decades-old oil-fired boiler and severely corroded pipework, was failing. The school needed an urgent replacement that would restore reliable heat before the new academic year, delivered without disrupting term-time teaching.
Working within a live, occupied school placed specific demands on sequencing and safety. All works were planned around the academic calendar, with the most disruptive activity confined to the summer holiday, and asbestos, safeguarding and site segregation managed to the standards required on an active school campus.
The existing oil tank and oil-fired boiler were safely drained and removed under strict environmental controls. A new underground gas main was brought in from the street to the basement plant room, with a new gas meter installed to supply the increased demand of the replacement boiler plant.
Multiple high-efficiency condensing gas boilers, with a combined output of approximately 960 kW, were installed in a cascade arrangement with full redundancy. The flue and ventilation system was upgraded to current emissions and safety standards, including a new chimney liner and automatic isolation dampers.
Roughly half of the school's central heating distribution was renewed in the Sixth Form's main building, replacing failing steel pipework, cast-iron radiators and outdated fan convectors with insulated pipework and modern heat emitters, alongside new pumps, valves, expansion vessels and metering.
A new digital BMS was installed in the plant room, integrating the boiler plant and Phase 1 heating zones with weather compensation, zonal control, scheduling and gas safety interlocks, with built-in provision to incorporate Phase 2 zones and equipment.
Key Outcomes and Benefits
Combined output of the new condensing gas boiler plant, configured in a cascade arrangement with full redundancy for reliability.
Phase 1 ran from July to late October 2025, aligned with the school summer break, reaching practical completion on schedule ahead of colder weather.
Phase 1 was completed without any accidents or incidents, supported by rigorous RAMS, licensed asbestos removal and a proactive site safety culture.
No unplanned classroom downtime during term time; major works were confined to the summer closure and out-of-hours periods.
New boiler plant and Phase 1 heating zones integrated under a single digital Building Management System with weather compensation and zonal control.
Spare capacity built into the boiler headers, pumps and controls to accommodate the remaining heating system in the next phase, simplifying future works.
Project Detail
As Principal Contractor, Vital Synergy ensured full compliance with CDM 2015 regulations throughout Phase 1, working within a live, occupied school environment alongside the client's management team, consulting engineers and specialist subcontractors.
A dedicated site compound, segregated from student areas, supported equipment storage, welfare facilities and deliveries scheduled outside peak school hours, while close coordination with the BMS controls contractor and gas utility kept the programme on track.
Compliance and Safety
Comprehensive RAMS were prepared for all key activities and approved by the client's Principal Designer before work began, covering hot works, heavy lifting and work at height for flue installation. Following an asbestos R&D survey, a licensed contractor safely removed or encapsulated identified ACMs ahead of general demolition and installation, with full clearance certification obtained before works proceeded.
All site personnel were DBS-checked and briefed on working in an educational setting, with construction areas strictly cordoned off from occupied parts of the campus. Daily housekeeping, secure tool storage and end-of-day checks maintained a safe, tidy site, and noisy or disruptive activity was scheduled for off-peak times.
Programme and Delivery
Phase 1 was delivered over a 16-week programme from July to late October 2025, with major works in classrooms carried out during the summer closure and plant room fit-out and commissioning continuing into early autumn outside school hours. Regular progress meetings and a joint pre-start meeting with the school's consultants confirmed responsibilities and aligned the schedule with other summer works on site.
Specialist subcontractors, including the BMS controls installer, worked night shifts coordinated around site access to avoid scheduling conflicts, while the gas utility connection was progressed in parallel to keep the new boiler plant on programme. The system was designed with provision for Phase 2, allowing the remaining heating zones to be integrated without rework.
Replacing our ageing oil-fired boiler was a big undertaking, but Vital Synergy planned the work around the summer break so it had zero impact on teaching time. The new heating system is far more reliable, and the whole project was managed professionally from start to finish.
Site Manager, Clitheroe Royal Grammar School
