Case studies

Learning from our SEND projects

Glenwood School, Essex | £15.4m

Delivered on time, in budget and scoring 10/10 for customer satisfaction, Glenwood School has completely transformed the learning environment.Procured through the Essex County Council framework, the 210-place school for three to 19-year-olds is a two storey timber framed building with 26 spacious classrooms, a hydrotherapy pool and specialist facilities to help meet the young people’s sensory needs. The team also created independent living areas within the school that helps older students prepare for adulthood and an immersive room that uses projection imagery to provide a range of environments for young people to become accustomed to.During the scheme, end user engagement was absolutely vital - it was a mandatory requirement that every single worker on the project toured the existing Glenwood school, so they could truly understand the range of needs they were delivering for.

Watch Oliver's story

The team were fabulous in becoming part of Glenwood – you could feel they had a real passion. They really listened to our feedback but also got to know our young people, understanding the importance of how much difference it would make to their lives.

Sally Waddingham, Glenwood School

Lexden Springs School, Essex | £18.8m

Lexden Springs School is a state-of-the-art SEND school and boarding campus in Colchester. Delivered in partnership with Essex County Council, this major relocation scheme has increased the school capacity from 120 to 200 young people.The school includes specialist classrooms, sensory rooms and a hydrotherapy pool as well as a new 30-place residential accommodation village.During the project the team worked closely with the teachers and pupils as they watched the building grow. Using 360 degree cameras and virtual reality headsets, they were able to take pupils into the building as it grew, creating an immersive experience ahead of the school moving in.In fact, the VR experience was such a successful pioneer that the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) took the case study national as an exemplary method in which end users can be taken on the journey of school construction.

Watch Lexden's story

This experience has been wonderful for us and our pupils who got to visit site regularly. Morgan Sindall Construction are clearly committed and passionate about building the best infrastructure for our very deserving special pupils.

Simon Wall, Lexden Springs School

Highfields Littleport Academy, Cambs | £40m

Delivered in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, Highfield Littleport Academy is an area special school for pupils aged two to 19 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan.The new school is part of a major new all-through campus development including SEND, early years and secondary schools as well as a leisure centre.The SEND school includes a host of state-of-the-art facilities for its 110-capacity cohort, including a hydrotherapy pool for swimming and therapy programmes.Additional sensory facilities and carefully crafted rooms enable the teachers to provide a stimulating environment across the whole curriculum with a pathway to suit individual needs.Their motto of ‘preparing for the next step’ runs through all the provision at Highfield. The scheme delivered on time, in budget and scored 10/10 for customer satisfaction.

Watch Littleport's experience

I’d challenge anyone in the country to have anywhere as good as this. The experience as well was exceptional. It blew us away really – it’s about the pupils and here we’re able to give them a great learning experience in a fantastic school.

Scott Gaskins, Littleport Academy

Chapel Green School, Norfolk | £13m

In order to double the existing Chapel Road School’s capacity, Norfolk County Council embarked upon a journey to create an incredible new facility in Attleborough.Chapel Green School is a 110-place SEND school built on a greenfield site, delivered under the Norfolk County Council partnering framework.The two-storey facility includes a specialist hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms and a large external play area designed especially for the needs of the school. Its 14 classrooms are carefully crafted to enable flexible teaching and learning enabling them to meet their motto of ‘ensuring the best for every child that comes through the door.’Throughout the project, the team held numerous site tours and engagement sessions with the pupils to help with excitement and transition across to their new school. This included bricklaying and wiring activities within the site compound.

User engagement was a golden thread at Chapel Green

The transition of our children into the new school was completely seamless. The building allowed this to happen. It was well planned and well organised and the children feel at home here which is absolutely fantastic.

Karin Heap, Chapel Green School

The Bridge School, Suffolk | £9.3m

Delivered in partnership with Suffolk County Council and Concertus, the Bridge School in Ipswich involved the extension, demolition and refurbishment of the existing school. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the team were able to safely pivot their operations in line with Government guidelines to complete on time, both phase one and phase two.The scheme comprises a brand new state-of-the-art secondary school building with six classrooms. The building will also house a hydrotherapy pool and two sensory needs rooms, as well as music, food tech and art teaching rooms.In addition to the new build, the team will also under demolition and refurbishment activities on the original school site. The new secondary school is on the same site as The Bridges’ primary school, which was built in 2014, with the aim to provide the students with a smooth transition between primary and secondary.

Phase one handover

This is top of the range. Without any question there isn’t a better school than this in terms of the building and the facilities. It is a really important community building. Everyone just seems really happy.

Hazel Simmons, The Bridge School

Glenwood Residences, Essex | £4.4m

Having delivered the original school, the same team returned to deliver the residential accommodation for Glenwood School.Delivered in partnership with Essex County Council, the scheme included the demolition of the old school and creation of a brand-new set of boarding residences to accommodate up to 20 pupils at any one time. The new ‘home-from-home’ has been constructed for the school learners at Glenwood school and provides comfortable accommodation for children and young adults with severe and multiple learning difficulties.The residential facilities will enable Glenwood School to provide 24-hour curriculum, Monday to Thursday during term time. While staying at the residential accommodation, pupils will be able to learn valuable life skills and how to share social and residential spaces with others, whilst getting support in developing positive relationships.

A new home-from-home for pupils

This is a very exciting development for the school. We are looking forward to improving outcomes by extending our involvement with young people and their families and carers.