Frome Vale Academy is a primary school in Bristol. The school is part of the Cabot Learning Federation, a multi-academy trust with a family of 35 schools across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Gloucester and Somerset. Across the schools, the academy supports 18,000 plus young people aged 2 to 19.
The school building is set within beautiful grounds of approximately nine acres and was originally built around the 1950s. The building features a complex mix of buildings with nine distinct roof areas. In total, the work equated to 600m2
The school had been suffering from water ingress at various points within the building, and the roof was desperately in need of replacement. Through their position within the academy, Frome Vale Academy secured funding for roof replacement work for their school.
Southern Plasticlad won the work through its relationship with the Cabot Learning Federation. They have been on their tender list for the last 10 years and have already successfully completed multiple projects for the trust.
Roof Materials:
The existing waterproofing on the Frome Vale Academy roof was a built-up roof (BUR) system which had reached the end of its serviceable life. The roof required a complete strip and replacement.
The contract was initially secured with a Torch-On-System proposed. However, due to the school being cautious about the use of hot works and the requirement for a fire watch period which made the contract cost unfeasible for the school, the decision was to go with an alternative. The roofing contractors recommended switching to an EPDM membrane which wouldn’t require hot works.
A major improvement in this refurbishment was upgrading the roof’s thermal performance. The original 25mm of insulation achieved a U-Value well below current standards. To meet the requirements of Approved Document L of the Building Regulations (England and Wales), the contractor upgraded the insulation. Improving the roof’s U-value also achieved the recommendations of BS 5250:2021 and BS 6229:2018, enhancing energy efficiency and comfort for occupants.
Workmanship:
The roof was prepared by stripping the original build-up to reveal the concrete structural deck. This allowed a comprehensive inspection of its condition and to determine whether repairs were required. Once completed, Air & Vapour Control Layer (AVCL), PIR insulation, and the RubberBond FleeceBack EPDM waterproofing were installed. The membrane layout was carefully considered to ensure the multiple roof areas, and varying shapes were made watertight with minimal waste.
The original roof design did not allow water to drain effectively, with many internal box gutters holding water. Full replacement of the build up allowed an improved design, with falls incorporated to ensure water was directed to the outlets and flowed freely from the roof.
Southern Plasticlad recognises that continuous training is essential to delivering high-quality projects. For this four-week roofing scheme, a team of ten directly employed roofers was deployed. The company places strong emphasis on skills development, ensuring all installers are competent and capable of meeting its exacting standards. Of the ten operatives on site, two had recently completed their apprenticeships, while one was still undergoing training. These trainees benefited from working alongside experienced team members — several of whom have been with the company for over 23 years — allowing valuable knowledge and best practices to be shared on site.
RubberBond FleeceBack can only be purchased from Flex-R by contractors who are members of our Specialist Registered Installer (SRI) scheme. On this project, the experienced installers were all SRI installers and had received the relevant product training from Flex-R.
Southern Plasticlad maintains strict quality control across all projects, supported by regular site inspections carried out by the Flex-R technical team. This close collaboration and ongoing involvement with the roofing contractor enabled Flex-R to confidently issue a 20-year warranty on completion.
Conclusion:
The refurbishment of Frome Vale Academy in Bristol is a clear example of how considered choice of materials, meeting high levels of workmanship and working in collaboration can ensure an ageing school building remains fit for purpose.
The school’s failing Built-Up Roofing system had long reached the end of its serviceable life. While an exact replacement may have been the automatic choice, a combination of budget and safety concerns resulted in a rethink about the roof space. With nine different roof areas across five interlinked buildings, the complexity and scale of the 600m2 refurbishment demanded not just technical expertise but a roofing solution that delivered on performance, and long-term value.
Switching from a Torch-On system to RubberBond FleeceBack EPDM proved to be a pivotal decision — eliminating the risks associated with hot works, improving the speed of installation, ensuring minimal disruption to the live school environment and allowing the contractor to complete the work in four weeks, rather than the six that had been allocated by the school.
The result is a transformed learning environment one that has been achieved through thoughtful specification and skilled application. The school federation has been so pleased with their work that they have already asked the roofing contractor to tender for another job