The Willows Primary & SEN School
The Willows provides a state-of-the-art conjoined school facility for a single form mainstream primary, and an all through special needs school with sixth form. An extensive consultation programme brought the two separate school communities together resulting in an inclusive design that incorporates shared resources and sensitive adjacencies.
Location
Wolverhampton, UK
Area
6,500 m2
Status
Completed
Year
2011
Client
Wolverhampton City Council
The extensive 6,500 sqm school is designed to accommodate and support a wide range of users inclusive of ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorders, SLD (Severe Learning Difficulties), and PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities). The new special needs wing provides specific facilities for SEN pupils, which includes a hydrotherapy pool, special sensory rooms; a snoezelen, soft play rooms, therapy rooms, nurse facilities and specific classrooms with integrated ceiling hoists and specific heating needs. Associated community facilities with daytime access to meeting rooms and multi-purpose halls for dance and youth groups were designed into the facility.
The inclusive design includes the location of the early years group areas of each school near one another and a shared main hall and administration area. Achieving this arrangement involved building trust with the different governors, teachers, parents and pupil populations, before bringing them into a shared forum.
I think that what our architects, Architype, have done for us is that they’ve really, really listened. They’ve listened to exactly what we need. I think what they’ve done is taken that information away and turned it into something that’s special for us. This building is going to be very unique.
Sue Vaughan, Headteacher
Vision
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Design
There is a real sense of the communities being able to come into the schools, once they‘re completed, and see what impact they’ve actually had on the design, along with staff and children... there’s a real sense of ownership.
Lorraine Dawney, Headteacher
Expertise
Two Schools Become A Super School
The Willows demanded the need to design in consultation (not committee) to bring together two schools (a mainstream primary and a special education needs school for pupils suffering from PMLD, SLD and ASD) into one facility.
Project partners
Contractor
Mansell Construction Services Ltd
Building services
E3 Consulting Engineers LLP
Structural engineers
Price & Myers LLP
Landscape architects
Coe Design Landscape Architecture
Arts programme artist
Zoe Partington Sollinger
Selected accolades
2011 BCSE Awards - SEN School of the Year
Key data
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