One of Britain’s biggest school builders is on the brink of collapse as high inflation and a squeeze on public spending batter the property market. Geoffrey Osborne, a family-owned contractor currently working on dozens of projects, has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators as it battles to find a buyer. The company employs around 850 staff and has been responsible for building the backbone of Britain, including £10bn worth of schools, hospitals and homes over the past 60 years. Osborne specialises in school building and has worked on more than 50 school and university projects over the past five years. This includes the £50m overhaul of St Paul’s School and several new classrooms across the country. The company also installed the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park. Osborne said “significant impacts” such as high inflation and a slowdown in public spending plus the lingering effects of the pandemic and Brexit had hammered the company. Andrew Osborne, chairman, said: “Everyone in the construction industry knows the challenges of the past few years and Osborne has worked hard to continue to deliver projects. “Our management team has done everything possible to look after our people and protect suppliers, while...