St Maxentius Primary School
Delivering safer, warmer learning spaces with Kestrel
St Maxentius Primary School underwent a major refurbishment in autumn 2025 to create a safer, more comfortable learning environment. As one of nine schools in the Bolton area to secure funding from the Conditional Improvement Fund 2025–2026, works were carried out to tackle ongoing health and safety concerns and upgrade the building’s energy efficiency.
Partner
Systems
60mm Window System
Thermal Framing
Raising standards across the school
The project entailed replacing the entire curtain walling system and the outdated, defective heating system, which risked full school closure.
Overseeing the project, Rich Parry, Estates & Facilities Manager at Archbishop Temple Multi Academy Trust, explained: “The refurbishment was needed because there were multiple issues with the building, particularly with the windows. Some of them were cracked or frosted and you couldn’t see through them. They were also draughty and not thermally efficient – they’d been in a bit of a state for years.”
Key to the refurbishment was the use of Kestrel Aluminium Systems solutions including thermal framing and 60mm windows to improve safety and thermal efficiency. All profiles were powder coated by Kestrel to the same specification (RAL 9910 white) to provide an elegant, uniform finish throughout the building.
“The client wanted to replace all the old windows and doors to improve the thermal efficiency of the building,” explained Lyndon Sutherman, Contracts Manager, Building Projects. “Large shopfront systems were installed, which were full elevations from floor to ceiling with insulated panels at the bottom and glass at the top, with a door on each one. In total, 14 of these systems were installed.”
The Kestrel systems were installed by specialist contractor Abi Aluminium, who has worked with Kestrel on numerous projects.
The systems provide excellent insulation and bring more natural light into the building. They also enhance safety, with the doors incorporating single pivot anti-finger-traps to better protect the children as they go in and out of the building.
“There were anti-finger-traps on the old doors, but these had become worn down,” added Rich. “The new doors have high-end anti-finger-traps, which are much more robust and improve the safety of the children and staff.”
Turning up the heat
In addition to the doors and windows, the ageing heating systems were upgraded to improve thermal comfort in the classrooms.
“Originally the radiators were attached to the wall, but they were old and didn’t work properly,” said Rich. “The radiators were replaced by fan convectors that were installed in the ceiling. These are much more efficient and free up wall space.”
A great result
The project took around six weeks to complete and works finished during the October half term. Following the refurbishment, there has been a lot of positive feedback regarding the look and feel of the classrooms.
“We had excellent feedback from the client, the classrooms are warmer and offer a more comfortable environment,” continued Lyndon. “The staff have also commented that the windows are easier to open and close now.”
Rich agreed and concluded: “We’ve had lots of comments saying the windows and doors look great. The sunlight shines through nicely and everyone can clearly see out into the woodland area. It’s a great result.”
