Essex County Council required a new adaptive standalone SEND building at a live primary school in Colchester, Essex. The project demanded a full turnkey solution, incorporating off-site manufacture, delivery and installation within a fixed school programme. The new facility needed to provide a flexible SEND classroom, sensory spaces and inclusive hygiene facilities, while achieving net zero carbon in operation and full compliance with DfE guidance, Essex County Council standards and Building Regulations. Delivered within an operational school, the solution had to minimise disruption, safeguard pupils and staff, and provide a durable, future-ready learning environment.
The building features a durable, contemporary design with plastisol-coated cladding, robust detailing and a low-profile roof that integrates sensitively with the existing school estate while minimising long-term maintenance. Inclusive, SEND-focused access is provided through Part M compliant doors, level thresholds and clearly defined routes, ensuring safe daily operation within a live school environment. Integrated all-electric services are discreetly accommodated, and a low-maintenance material palette has been selected to withstand intensive educational use while respecting the surrounding residential context and maintaining a cohesive appearance across the wider site.
The scheme provides a flexible SEN classroom designed for up to 16 ambulant pupils, supporting a range of teaching methods and individual learning needs. Dedicated sensory spaces are directly connected to the main classroom, offering calm environments for emotional regulation and focused learning, alongside inclusive hygiene and accessible WC facilities that ensure dignity and compliance. Clear circulation, strong sightlines and robust internal finishes promote effective supervision, safeguarding and long-term durability while maintaining a safe and welcoming learning environment.
The completed SEND expansion at Hazelmere Infant School has delivered a high-quality, inclusive learning environment within a clearly defined and well-controlled programme. The building was manufactured off site while enabling works progressed in parallel, allowing installation to take place in a single day in late October and significantly reducing disruption to the operational school. Follow-on works, commissioning and final approvals were completed efficiently through November, enabling Building Control sign-off and handover in early December. This structured approach ensured certainty of delivery, safeguarded pupils and staff throughout construction and provided Essex County Council with a robust, compliant and future-ready SEND facility that meets both immediate and long-term educational needs.