St Margarets CP School SEND Unit
Specialist SEND unit providing classroom, sensory room and support facilities, carefully constructed within operational primary school environment.
Scope of Works
Our comprehensive delivery included:
Building Construction:
Construction of a new single-storey SEND unit extension
Large classroom space for SEND teaching
Office accommodation for staff
Accessible toilet facilities
Kitchenette for food preparation
Specialist sensory room for therapeutic activities
Refurbishment Works:
Upgrades to existing classroom spaces
Corridor improvements to enhance accessibility
Integration of new and existing building elements
External Works:
Section 278 highway works for temporary vehicle access
Creation of new outdoor teaching space
Construction of access path from Arundel Road
Integration with existing playground facilities
Location:
Angmering, Littlehampton BN16 4LP, UK
Project Value:
£1,313,646.98
Duration:
Angmering, Littlehampton BN16 4LP, UK
Client:
West Sussex County Council
Contract:
JCT
The Challenge:
The project presented multiple significant challenges, primarily related to working within an operational primary school environment. Construction activities needed to be carefully managed to ensure pupil safety and minimise disruption to education, requiring close coordination with school operations throughout the academic year. Initial site access was severely restricted until Section 278 highway works could be completed to create a new temporary vehicle entrance, preventing material deliveries to the work area in the early stages. Maintaining the highest standards of safeguarding while working in close proximity to children required comprehensive procedures and constant vigilance from all team members.
Our Approach:
Recognising the sensitivity of working within a school environment, we implemented a collaborative approach focused on regular communication and flexibility. We established early relationships with the school leadership team, holding regular update meetings to discuss upcoming works and coordinate our activities with the school calendar. This enabled us to schedule noisy or disruptive works around critical periods such as examinations and assemblies, minimising impact on education.
For the initial access challenges, we worked closely with the school to develop interim solutions, carefully scheduling early works to focus on activities that required minimal materials until the Section 278 works were completed. Once the temporary access was established, we implemented a comprehensive delivery management system to ensure all vehicle movements were safely controlled and coordinated with school activities.
Throughout the project, we maintained an open-book approach to costs and programme, fostering an environment of collaboration where all parties worked toward the shared goal of creating exceptional SEND facilities with minimal disruption to the school. This transparent approach enabled us to explore value engineering opportunities that benefitted the client while maintaining quality standards.
Overcoming Challenges:
The most significant initial challenge was the restricted site access prior to completion of the Section 278 highway works. Without the ability to receive deliveries directly to the work area, our team implemented creative solutions including the use of smaller vehicles where possible and careful scheduling of works to prioritise activities requiring minimal materials. We worked closely with the school to coordinate alternative delivery routes through the existing site where appropriate, always ensuring pupil safety remained paramount.
Working within an operational school required exceptional care and consideration. We established strict segregation between construction activities and school operations, with robust hoarding and clear signage. Our site team received additional briefings on safeguarding requirements and maintained constant awareness of their proximity to educational activities. By programming noisy works around sensitive periods such as examinations and assembly times, we demonstrated our commitment to supporting the school’s primary educational purpose.
The design and build contract allowed us to identify value engineering opportunities that benefitted the project. A significant example was our redesign of the foul drainage solution, retaining existing arrangements rather than installing new systems as originally specified. This approach reduced groundworks requirements, creating both cost savings and minimising disruption to the school grounds, while still meeting all functional requirements.
Key Achievements:
The completed SEND unit has significantly enhanced the school’s ability to support pupils with special educational needs, providing purpose-designed spaces that meet specific requirements. The large classroom, sensory room and supporting facilities create an ideal environment for inclusive education, while the outdoor teaching space extends learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
Our collaborative approach to project delivery earned exceptional praise from the school, with the headteacher sending a letter specifically thanking us for our management of the construction process. This recognition highlights our success in balancing construction activities with operational school requirements, demonstrating our ability to work sensitively in live educational environments.
The value engineering solutions implemented throughout the project delivered cost benefits to the client without compromising quality or functionality. By retaining existing foul drainage arrangements and identifying other efficiencies, we maximised the educational value achieved from the available budget.
Our commitment to sustainability was evident throughout the project, with careful waste management ensuring timber pallets were recycled, muck away was properly segregated, and surplus materials were donated to the school for their own projects. This approach minimised environmental impact while providing additional resources for the school community.
Through careful planning, close collaboration with the school, and sensitive construction management, we successfully delivered this important educational facility while maintaining a safe, productive learning environment throughout the construction period. The completed SEND unit now enables St Margarets CP School to expand its support for pupils with special educational needs, benefitting both the school and the wider community.