Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams
Carrick Construction was appointed by Bowmer & Kirkland to deliver the specialist sports pitch...
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Key Facts:
- MUGA
- 3G pitch construction
- Natural pitch construction
- Drainage
Project Summary
The development of high-quality outdoor sports facilities was a key requirement for Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams in Stoke-on-Trent, supporting both curriculum delivery and wider community engagement. The project comprised the construction of a new 3G Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP), a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), and a full-size natural grass football pitch designed to accommodate U11, U13 and junior-level play.
Delivered in collaboration with the local authority and the Department for Education through its Free School programme, the academy is an important addition to the city’s growing education and sports infrastructure. The new facilities play a vital role in enhancing opportunities for physical education, extracurricular sport, and community use.
Carrick Construction was appointed by Bowmer & Kirkland to deliver the specialist sports pitch works as part of the wider school development. The facilities were designed to provide durable, high-performance playing surfaces capable of sustaining intensive, year-round use by both students and local sports clubs.
The project reflects the academy’s commitment to promoting active lifestyles, improving student wellbeing, and fostering stronger community connections through accessible, modern sports infrastructure. Delivery was supported by the wider STRI Group, which provided detailed design input for each playing surface, followed by installation in accordance with specification by the Carrick Construction team.
Challenges
Each playing surface had different technical requirements, with the 3G pitch, MUGA and natural turf field requiring precise ground preparation, drainage installation and surface construction to achieve the desired levels of performance and durability.
Ensuring that drainage and surface profiles were correctly constructed was critical to prevent waterlogging, maintain playability and protect the long-term lifespan of the facilities.
Additionally, there was a requirement for works to be delivered in line with the wider school construction programme, requiring efficient project management and close collaboration between Carrick Construction, Bowmer & Kirkland and the design teams.
Solution
Carrick Construction implemented a structured programme to deliver the three sports facilities efficiently while maintaining the highest quality standards.
The project began with detailed groundworks and formation preparation to create stable foundations for each surface. Specialist drainage systems were installed to ensure effective water management and maintain surface performance throughout the year.
For the 3G artificial grass pitch, the team constructed sub-base and base layers before installing the artificial turf system designed to withstand heavy usage from school sport and training activities.
The MUGA was constructed to provide a versatile sports surface suitable for multiple activities including netball and tennis.
Alongside these surfaces, Carrick delivered the natural grass playing field, carefully preparing the soil profile and drainage infrastructure before seeding to create a durable natural turf pitch capable of supporting regular school sport.
Throughout the project, Carrick worked closely with the main contractor and design teams to ensure works were delivered safely, efficiently and in line with programme requirements.
THE RESULTS
The completed sports facilities have transformed outdoor sport provision at Florence MacWilliams, providing modern, high-quality playing surfaces that support both education and community sport.
The combination of a 3G artificial grass pitch, MUGA and natural turf playing field ensures the school has a versatile range of facilities capable of accommodating different sports and levels of participation throughout the year.
The project saw successful delivery of the specialist groundworks, drainage infrastructure and surface installations required to support these facilities, ensuring durability, performance and long-term value for the academy.
The new sports provision enables students to benefit from enhanced physical education opportunities while also creating facilities that can be used by local clubs and community groups, supporting wider participation in sport.
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