Morgan Sindall has completed work on a new special educational needs (SEN) school in Eastbourne.

Its Southern Home Counties business recently celebrated the completion of the new school, Summerdown.

Procured through the Department for Education (DfE) framework, the event marked the final milestone of the new multi-faceted building which has been built for the Department of Education on behalf of East Sussex County Council (ESCC).

Several key stakeholders from Morgan Sindall Construction, ESCC and local government officials were in attendance, including Morgan Sindall Construction's Southern Home Counties team, Eastbourne's MP Caroline Ansell; the Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Education Needs and Disability, Councillor Bob Stanley; Steven Hyland from the Department of Education; former Manchester City winger Steve Coppell; and Summerdown’s Headteacher, Penny Kershaw.


As part of Morgan Sindall Construction’s commitment to Intelligent Solutions, the new school includes a host of bespoke and specialist equipment, including a hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms, food technology and state-of-the-art science laboratories as well as landscaped gardens to provide an enriching outdoor environment.

The school will create 135 much-needed local school places for children aged 5-16 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), complex learning needs and medical difficulties.

During construction, Morgan Sindall Construction worked with the Eastbourne community as part of its commitment to delivering social value where it is most needed in the areas it operates in. Eastbourne Investment Group ensured minimal disruptions to the local area, as well as minimising the project's carbon footprint by utilising modern methods of construction.

Nick Beaumont, Morgan Sindall Construction's Project Manager for Summerdown School, said: "I've thought about this day for a long time, and I can honestly say we as a team have put our heart and soul into delivering it. This is a long awaited and much needed, vital resource to the Eastbourne community. We saw the children on the very first day they entered the school and to see their beaming faces, you can't ask for a better reward. Going forward, this must be the norm for SEND provision."