Kier : appointed to deliver £12.5m Sunningdale SEN School

Kier has been appointed by Sunderland City Council to create a new £12.5m special educational needs (SEN) school for disabled children. The project has been procured through the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) framework.

The 4000m2 new-build school is set to replace a current facility that is at the end of its life. Construction of therapy provisions for pupils will include rebound therapy, hydrotherapy pool, sensory facilities, soft play and each class will have a storage area for mobility equipment. Informal play and grass playing fields will also be provided across the wider site, alongside a wetlands area, nature trail and habitat area.

When the school is completed the school site will offer around 56 regular parking spaces and four accessible bays for staff and visitors, along with electric charging bays for four vehicles. Meanwhile, cycle-friendly facilities will also be incorporated as part of the development, including secure storage shelters and changing facilities with showers to encourage use of sustainable commuting.

The facility is due to be completed in the summer of 2022.

Dan Doherty, regional director at Kier Regional Building North & Scotland, said: 'We are delighted to have been appointed to deliver this project which will strengthen our relationship with Sunderland City Council. We will use our range of experience in delivering first-class education projects to build a high-class facility for Sunderland.'

Statement attributable to Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Learning and Skills, Councillor Louise Farthing: 'All of our children and students always deserve the very best education, the very best facilities and as a City Council we've always been committed to ensuring this.

'The new build here at Sunningdale is another example of our continuing programme to update and provide the very best for all young people.

'Commissioned by the City Council's Neighbourhood's Directorate and designed in-house under the direction of the Capital Projects Team, we look forward to working with Kier on these new facilities for children with severe learning and physical difficulties.'

Kier is currently delivering a number of education schemes across the North East and late last year, it handed over three new schools in the region to the Department for Education. Across the UK, Kier has handed over more than one school project a week. Kier has worked on numerous SEN projects across the country and has recently handed over Forest Bridge School in Maidenhead, which has 96 pupils aged between 4-16 with a primary diagnosis of autism.