Site Logo
New state-of-the-art £7m SEND school

THE newest SEND school in Ipswich – the £7m Woodbridge Road Academy – is tailored for 60 children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and has been constructed under the Department for Education’s (DfE) MMC1 framework.

 The school features 12 classroom suites and several learning resource areas, which will allow secondary-age pupils to be taught vital life skills. In addition, Woodbridge Road Academy boasts a well-equipped library, sensory rooms, main hall, dining area, and accessible bathrooms. Outside, a multi- use games area (MUGA) has been constructed for recreational activities – including use by the wider community. Beyond serving the student population, the layout of the school allows specific areas to be accessed by the community outside core school hours. This includes the main hall, accessible bathrooms, hygiene rooms and the outdoor MUGA, meaning that the wider community also benefits from the new facility.

The design also incorporates a ‘community lock’ feature, with Salto door lock systems on certain doors meaning that access to particular areas can be controlled by the school, providing additional levels of flexibility and security. Architecture and interior design teams from multi-disciplinary construction consultancy Pick Everard have worked closely with design and build contractor Bowmer + Kirkland, playing a pivotal role in delivering a carefully considered design fit for both pupil and community use. Paul Knifton, director at Pick Everard, said: “As with any school project with a variety of stakeholders, collaboration was at the heart of this project's success. We are pleased to have worked with Bowmer + Kirkland and Woodbridge Road Academy to create a new, purpose-built building that will transform the SEND provision in Suffolk.”

Related Stories
Flexible and easy to install fire detection essential for special educational se
For educational settings which cater for children with learning difficulties, it is extremely important that any kind of maintenance that might cause disruption is kept to an absolute minimum to avoid distressing the pupils. Selecting a fire detection installation partner who understands this is key to a project which is completed successfully and swiftly. In this article we hear how special ed school Fred Nicholson in Norfolk achieved a new life safety installation with ease when they worked with Hochiki.
Main works commence on £8.5m Derbyshire primary school rebuild
ACEREMONY was recently held at Bramley Vale Primary School, Derbyshire to officially mark the start of main works following the demolition of the old school building.
Legionella – what is the risk to school children?
There’ve been numerous news headlines relating to Legionella in our schools over the pastfew years – for example: ‘Nuneaton school building shut as legionella bacteria found’ and‘Legionella discovered in water system at Milton Keynes school’. But what is the level ofrisk? Jonathan Twaites and Daniel Pitcher of Water Hygiene Centre explain
Modular design triumphs at Kempshott Junior School
KEMPSHOTT Junior School is a large Hampshire school near to Basingstoke town centre, that shares its site with Kempshott Infant School.
Flooring boosts sustainability in new eco-friendly primary
TWO Rivers Primary School in Keynsham, Somerset, is only the second school in the country to achieve Passivhaus Plus accreditation.

Login / Sign up