Morgan Sindall Construction's Essex business has officially handed over the newly expanded Castledon School to Essex County Council (ECC).

A celebration event was held at the school on 17 October, attended by the Morgan Sindall project team, Cllr Tony Ball, MP Mark Francois, ECC representatives, and families. Guests listened to speeches, enjoyed refreshments and toured the school's new facilities.

Part of the Zenith Trust, Castledon School caters to students aged 5–19 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), moderate learning difficulties, and other special educational needs (SEN). The new extension, designed to accommodate rising demand, includes 11 multi-purpose classrooms, a sports hall, food technology classroom, science lab, art studio, therapy and physio rooms, a calm room, a MUGA area, library and office spaces for staff.

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Developed in collaboration with architects and MEP designers Ingleton Wood and structural engineers Superstructures, the project has more than doubled the school’s capacity from 82 to 196 students.

As part of its commitment to community engagement, Morgan Sindall provided six Castledon students aged 17–19 with five weeks of hands-on construction experience. One of the participants has since been offered further work experience at Morgan Sindall’s Glenwood Sixth Form project in South Benfleet.

The company is also partnering with GSQ Brickwork to give four additional students an opportunity to explore bricklaying careers, including visits to GSQ’s training facility. Beyond this, the project team delivered construction-themed activities for local Key Stage One pupils and participated in two careers fairs to promote construction industry opportunities.

Using its Intelligent Solutions approach, Morgan Sindall deployed its carbon reduction tool, CarboniCa, to track and reduce emissions. As a result, 70% of the new roof is fitted with photovoltaic (PV) panels, enabling the school to operate at net zero.

Ryan Liversage, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Essex, said: "How fantastic it is to celebrate the opening of Castledon School's exceptional SEN facilities. It means a great deal to enhance the next generation’s educational experience through our work, creating a space where students feel safe and supported.

"We've thoroughly enjoyed working with Essex County Council from start to finish and look forward to seeing the community enjoy the development for years to come."