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For many headteachers, school business managers, and estate managers, ‘expanding school space’ sounds like a project that will involve months of planning applications, significant budget, and lengthy conversations with the local authority. For many expansion routes, that is true. But for temporary structures particularly for shorter hire periods planning permission is often not required at all. And for longer-term installations, schools benefit from permitted development rights that make the process considerably more straightforward than most people assume.
Trafalgar Structures has been providing temporary structures to schools, colleges, and local authorities across London and the South East since 2011. Here is what school decision-makers need to know about adding space quickly — and without unnecessary planning delays.
This is the question we are asked most often, and the answer is: it depends on the duration.
For hire periods of 28 days or less, a temporary structure does not require planning permission under UK regulations. Many schools use this route for exam season, short building projects, or specific events.
For longer-term installations, which is what most schools need during building works, bulge years, or sustained growth in pupil numbers, permitted development rights typically apply to educational premises. Schools often do not need formal planning permission even for structures that remain on site for a year or more. That said, rules can vary by site and by local authority, and we always recommend confirming before proceeding. We can advise on this as part of your initial enquiry.
Speed is usually what schools need most. When a roof leaks, a classroom becomes unusable, or pupil numbers increase faster than anticipated, the timetable for a traditional building project is simply not compatible with the academic year.
Our temporary structures can typically be installed within one to three days of confirming a booking. When Valentines High School needed a 12m x 21m structure at short notice due to construction works, we had it installed and ready to use within three days. Lady Eleanor Holles School and London South East Colleges have both benefited from the same rapid response.
We use a mixed fleet of vehicles to deliver our structures, depending on structure and site. That means no crane on site, no risk of damage to playgrounds or playing fields, and significantly fewer health and safety complications than a portacabin delivery requires.
Our temporary structures can be configured for almost any educational use. Common applications include:
Every structure is built to fit your specific site, not the other way around. We can build long and narrow, short and wide, L-shaped, or designed to connect directly to an existing school building via a covered walkway. Partition walls can create multiple separate spaces within a single structure where needed.
Sustainability matters to most schools both as a value and, increasingly, as a policy requirement. Compared to traditional modular buildings and portacabins, our temporary structures carry a significantly lower environmental impact: fewer heavy vehicles on site, no concrete foundations, and fully reusable structures that move to their next project when you are finished with them.
As a B Corp certified company, Trafalgar Structures holds itself to independently verified standards of social and environmental performance. For schools with sustainability targets, eco-school accreditation, or carbon reduction commitments, this is a genuine consideration when choosing a supplier. This also means:
♻️ Reduced material waste compared to traditional builds
🚛 Fewer heavy-duty transport vehicles, lowering CO₂ emissions
🔄 Fully reusable & relocatable structures, reducing environmental footprint.
All our structures are erected by trained, experienced teams and built to comply with the relevant health and safety standards. We are MUTA members and hold SafeContractor accreditation. Solid flooring is installed as standard for all school hire, security doors and windows are fitted to all classroom structures, and for long-term installations we provide regular safety checks, including monthly compliance inspections for clients such as Valentines High School.
For hire periods of 28 days or less, no planning permission is required. For longer installations, permitted development rights typically apply to educational premises — but always confirm with your local authority first. We can advise as part of your initial enquiry.
In most cases, one to three days from confirming the confirmation depending on your requirements. For genuine emergencies a classroom made unusable by a roof failure or flood, for example contact us directly and we will confirm what is possible at short notice.
Yes. We regularly build covered walkways and corridor connections between the main building and the temporary structure, so pupils do not need to go outside to reach it. This is discussed as part of every school enquiry.
Yes. Our structures are fully insulated and heated as standard for school hire. Internal temperatures are consistent and controllable year-round.
As long as needed from a few weeks to several years. Many schools start with a short-term hire and extend as their requirements evolve. We work around the academic calendar and remove the structure at the most convenient time.
If your school is facing a space challenge, a building project, a bulge year, growing pupil numbers, or an unexpected facilities issue, we would be glad to discuss your options. We work with primary and secondary schools, sixth form colleges, universities, and local authorities across London and the South East.
Get in touch or call us on 01932 620 060 for a no-obligation conversation, or use our online calculator for a ballpark instant cost estimate.
