Multi-disciplinary delivery of a new, state-of-the-art SEN school

Oaklands School

Oaklands was conceived as a new secondary, post-16 and young adult school to provide places for up to 224 pupils with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties. Facilities required included spaces for therapy and physical activity, a hydrotherapy pool and specialist mobility and ceiling hoist equipment installed to provide unhindered and flexible use of these facilities.

Our team managed and designed the project through to completion, supporting delivery of state-of-the art facilities within a spatially constrained residential area.As designs developed, we were required to make numerous changes as users became more informed and clearer in their aspirations. Through a two-way process we worked with key stakeholders to make changes including alterations to the layout.

The project needed to satisfy BREEAM Very Good and London Plan requirements, making sustainability an essential requirement.

Working closely with school stakeholders, we accommodate layout changes including reducing the distance between staff areas and student areas, keeping areas for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder on the ground floor for safety reasons, and sectioning areas of the school according to pupil age to give children and young people a sense of progression as they move up through the years.

Passive measures including solar shading and solar control glazing were employed to control internal temperatures, with the building management system providing features including weather compensation and energy metering and monitoring to optimise energy usage. Photovoltaics and a combined heat and power (CHP) system allowed us to offset 35% of CO2 emissions.

As designs developed, we were required to make numerous changes as users became more informed and clearer in their aspirations. Through a two-way process we worked with key stakeholders to make changes including alterations to the layout.

During construction we needed to provide the main connection between on site activities and the client, ensuring architectural drawings were followed using correct and appropriate materials and applications.

After consideration of the initial design proposals the school stakeholders decided upon layout changes, including reducing the distance between staff areas and student areas; keeping areas for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder on the ground floor for safety reasons; and sectioning areas of the school according to pupil age to give children and young people a sense of progression as they move up through the years.

As the client’s on site representative we had positive communications at all times with the contractor to overcome any possible defects while working collaboratively, drawing on guidance from the design team, as well as British Standards and best practice. This supported the successful completion of the build programme.