- Location
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Size
- 6200(m2)
Kemball SEN School, Stoke on Trent
We were the concept designers and lead architects on site for this 6,200 square metre new build. The special educational needs (SEN) school was built under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
Kemball specialises in the education of children with a range of complex cognitive needs from ‘severe’ to ‘profound and multiple learning difficulties’ (SLD/PMLD), and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The building is designed to accommodate 140 students between the ages of three and 19 and will be co-located with the new mainstream Ormiston Academy as part of an overall campus masterplan to promote positive inclusion and partnership.
The school aspires to be at the leading edge of technology assisted learning and communication, which includes outreach support initiatives, and aims to become a ‘Centre of Excellence’. The scheme creates an inspiring and stimulating sensory learning environment centred on the idea of inclusion, achievement, flexibility and creativity.
Key features of the design include 22 general and three specialist teaching classrooms, sensory and soft play rooms, physiotherapy PMLD gym, large multifunctional hall with adjoining music and drama room, learning resource centre, post 16 training flat, medical room, a feature staff admin pod, external sensory adventure play equipment and a specialist hydrotherapy pool for out of hours community use.
The private side of the building is located securely behind the main block in two separate and well-protected teaching wings to accommodate the day-to-day teaching spaces. The light and airy classrooms have been designed to offer maximum flexibility with pairs of classrooms arranged around en-suite hygiene facilities with a dedicated quiet room for one to one teaching.