Yeoman Park Academy

CLIENT: Department for Education
TOTAL PROJECT VALUE: £20m (FF&E £0.56m)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The design and delivery of Yeoman Park Special Needs School catering for autism, PMLD SLD and severe behavioural specialisms for students age from 3-18.

THE RAD SCOPE & BRIEF:

To enable the delivery of a robust curriculum but through inspired design that would develop students abilities across a range of specialist requirements covering physical and mental difficulties including a behavioural unit for extreme behavioural issues.

OUR SOLUTION:

We used a variety of tools including 3D renders, walkthroughs, 2D and 3D plans to produce concept ideas through to product sign-off and colour selection. The behavioural area required some options developing to offer the quiet zones for each student as well as practical and teaching spaces.
Stage not age was the mode of streamlining students’ abilities and class sets requiring furniture to adjust to a wide range of sized pupils. The PMLD areas demanded a solution enabling students to be lifted and handled with dignity.

HOW WE MADE A DIFFERENCE:

  • Helped develop the technology curriculum potential beyond the School’s expectations allowing students to maximise their best options.
  • Considered beginning and end of day issues affecting behaviour
  • Created a “Base and Lodge’ pair of classrooms for severe behavioural issues beyond normal behavioural units.
  • Reviewed abilities of students to experience a family style dining and consideration to this and who cannot manage this or had not learned to develop these skills
  • Created a PMLD suite and swimming pool for severely limited physical abilities.
  • The type of furniture in the open space required elements of practical work and so had to be reconfigurable and easily cleaned.
  • Used elements of fitted furniture to define routes through the open spaces.
  • Created life skills within the curriculum.
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