A new £25 million flagship school has been opened in the London Borough of Hounslow, offering spaces for special educational needs and disability (SEND) children.

Opened by Paralympian Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson, the school offers space for 288 pupils, making it one of the largest teaching facilities of its type in the country.

Farrans delivered the project, which involved transforming the site of the existing Marjory Kinnon School in Feltham into a new 9,500 sq m state-of-the-art building.

Independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard also provided full design, architectural and engineering services for the project.

Pick Everard partner David Nisbet said: "We're proud to have been involved in a major programme, which will completely transform children in Hounslow's access to high-quality and tailored SEND education.


"Through collaboration with the contractor, Farrans, during construction, we were able to complete the Marjory Kinnon School – one of the country's largest SEND schools – ahead of programme and under budget. The team worked collaboratively with the school to understand the complex teaching requirements to deliver a successful project."

The school offers a rich provision of inclusive and accessible environments for pupils aged four to 16 years.

Externally, the building uses a soft palette of materials – including subtle shades of brick and timber-effect panelling – to create an inviting and safe backdrop for the school.

Classrooms have been designed to be adaptable based on the environmental needs of different students, from the need to control visual stimulation through colour and shape, to the requirement for overhead hoists and adjustable height furniture for pupils with physical mobility aids. Primary and secondary wings were also constructed within the school to separate pupils by age into manageable groups.

Mr Nisbet added: "Within these key stage areas we created flexible teaching spaces with one-to-one group rooms, enabling pupils with a range of learning difficulties to be taught together or separately depending on individual pupil requirements. It has been designed to be both adaptable and flexible, future proofing the school environment for years to come."

Headteacher at Marjory Kinnon School, Tracy Meredith said: "The innovative and creative use of space will have a huge impact on making education accessible for pupils with significant barriers to their learning."

(CM/MH)