Why are we doing this and how will it help
Despite being engaged in the design and construction of numerous SEND schools and residential facilities over the last five years, it had become apparent that there is little evidenced-backed best practice available for the design and construction of these specialist facilities.
Learn more about our journey
To unpack the question of how we create great SEND schools, we brought together experts, partners, clients, collaborators, and influencers from the public and private sectors, to look at the trends and examine how the delivery pathway could be enhanced for all stakeholders.
Throughout 2019, we commissioned an independent market research company to conduct 16 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in the SEND sector.
The in-depth interviews were largely unstructured with participants being encouraged to talk about key issues and themes, which they felt were important and had shaped their experience of SEND school delivery.
The results of these initial interviews led to the publishing of a ground-breaking white paper; Building Better Futures. Since we conducted our research, it became obvious that this would be an infinite journey - something we will continue to invest in.
A 2019 workshop sparked interest from even more collaborators and following the commitment from our teams to complete Post Occupancy Evaluations (POE's) and lessons learned workshops on our SEND projects, we were joined by over 40 experts in a series of knowledge forum workshops to explore the granular detail of great design and delivery in the sector.
SEND Knowledge workshop at Duxford in 2019
Following the workshops, all held in November and December 2020, using online collaborative ideation tools, we were able to capture over 600 data points that were fed straight back into the development process and into this guidance document.
Our hope is that this document can help provide the spark, nudge, guide or idea that helps create positive change in the design and delivery process of your school.
Our passion is for every SEND school to the best it can be, so it can transform the lives of the pupils, teachers and families that rely upon it.
Whilst the guide is largely aimed at schools and headteachers that are embarking upon the delivery of new build projects, it may also spark ideas for those in existing buildings that want to review their learning environment.
There is always a tension between the vision, and what is achievable within project constraints (site, budget, timescales). Compromises are part of the process, but having a strong vision and understanding of what the building needs to deliver for the pupils, will help in the decision making process.
What this document aims to do is to pose the questions that will help guide you to help you explore as many of the options as possible, as early as possible, before progressing too far down the design pathway.
Learn why we just ask questions...
While this contains learning gathered from a wide range of projects, every school project has to match the needs of the users now and in the future – one size does not fit all, but there are some common questions and issues that can help you get the best solution for you.
As you progress through the guide, consider all the questions and use these to challenge ideas about your needs, to help create your school specific brief or design brief.
It is important to remember this is not a catch all, but contains many of the questions you will need to answer, in helping to create a truly great SEND school.
These items are detailed throughout the guide and broadly cover the following five areas, whilst bringing some alignment with BB104 to help with your design preparation:
How to prepare yourself for a capital project
What to consider for the use of key spaces including external and internal spaces
The experience you want your staff pupils and community to have
What to expect from the construction process and how you should be involved
How you can continue to learn from your building once you have moved in
