Marjory Kinnon School

Our fully multi-professional team achieved this through the development of a high-quality new school for children and young people with physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. The school was built on the playing field adjacent to existing school buildings which were later demolished.

The new school was built on the adjacent playing field of the existing school, an area of protected land defined as Metropolitan Green Belt. This demanded extensive consultation with Hounslow's planning department, the Greater London Authority and Sport England to successfully develop the scheme.

Being developed on a site close to existing buildings used by the school throughout design and construction, our primary concern was to ensure the new building could be delivered seamlessly with minimal disruption to pupils' education or daily routine.

Our design created a primary wing and secondary wing to separate pupils by age into manageable groups. Within these zones we created flexible teaching spaces with one-to-one group rooms, enabling pupils to be taught together or separately as required. Classrooms were designed to be adaptable based on the environmental needs of different students, from the need to control visual stimulation through colour and shape, to the requirement for overhead hoists and adjustable height furniture for pupils with physical mobility aids.

A collaborative approach by our team with the client, school stakeholders and contractors allowed us to minimise disruption throughout construction. All school users were briefed and informed of the project's progress on a weekly basis, giving them a chance to raise any queries or concerns for us to address.

David Nisbet, partner at Pick Everard said: “We’re proud to have been involved in a major programme, which will completely transform children in Hounslow’s access to high-quality and tailored SEND education. Through collaboration with the contractor, Farrans, during construction, we were able to complete the Marjory Kinnon School – one of the country’s largest SEND schools – ahead of programme and under budget. The team worked collaboratively with the school to understand the complex teaching requirements to deliver a successful project.”