Slough and Eton Church of England Business and Enterprise College is a co-educational secondary academy in Berkshire, with over 250 students in the school’s Sixth Form.

The school is set to offer a Level 1 course in Motor Vehicle Studies where students undertake automotive assignments in a practical and realistic environment, but lacked a suitable space for the young mechanics to get hands-on with a vehicle.

After they reviewed options for developing a learning facility, looking at previous projects we had undertaken, Mr Box was chosen as the ideal solution for the classroom, with a converted container offering the most versatility.

Business and procurement manager for SEBMAT, the multi academy trust the School belongs to Chris Fisher, said: “The project was developed very easily from our initial discussions and a basic sketch that we provided.

The team at Mr Box helped us throughout the process with regular meetings, site visits and detailed plans. We required modifications to the container to incorporate windows, doors, electrics, benches and heating, and the tailor-made facility was completed with none of the hassles of building on site.”

Some people might think that this is an unusual request, for a container to be made into a suitable location for students to learn how to fix cars. But in this business, there is no such thing as an usual request!

For the new project to proceed, we considered a number of important factors for working in a School learning environment, including fire regulations and equipment, safety and use for minors. We took on board all the School’s requirements, with discussions and requests agreed with fabricators and the School to meet their brief fully.

To have the converted classroom ready for the new academic year and the eager young students, the project was finalised and completed in just a few months, which included some changes to the original specification.

The classroom features two 40ft containers which were installed together at the School premises, as the units could not travel as one complete building due to the combined 40ft x 16ft size.

As part of the conversion project, workbenches were installed at one end, and electrical items such as hanging sockets were fitted inside in the centre to provide power in the middle of the room.

With the School joining the containers on site themselves, we compiled full instructions – including photos – to help them get up and running as quickly as possible. We made sure that full communication took place at all stages with the School, so everyone knew clearly what is going on.

Chris added: “It really was a smooth operation from start to finish and working with the Mr Box team was a pleasure. We are delighted with the results; which I am sure our staff and students will appreciate for many years to come.”