Work to new Nottinghamshire SEND school underway following ground-breaking event
Morgan Sindall Construction has commenced works on a brand-new £20 million school in Mansfield which caters for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The contractor was appointed by Arc Partnership on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council to deliver the major programme, which is expected to open to the community in 2025. Once complete, the school will provide a specialist learning environment for up to 140 children, aged 7 to 19 years, that have social, emotional, and mental health needs.
To mark the first stages of work, Morgan Sindall was joined by a number of Nottinghamshire County councillors and representatives from Arc Partnership, who designed and will project manage the scheme. The project team have since finished laying the foundations and are mid-way through completing the floor slabs, with the structural frame due to commence this autumn.
Procured via the SCAPE Construction framework, the project marks the ongoing collaboration between Morgan Sindall, Nottinghamshire County Council, and Arc Partnership. The trio successfully handed over Bingham Primary School and Millside Spencer Academy in 2022 and 2023, and are currently working on the council’s new low-carbon office, Oak House.
Looking to meet the growing demand for specialist school places across the county, the new SEND school is part of a broader initiative by Nottinghamshire County Council to deliver up to 490 additional SEND school places by 2026.
Councillor Sam Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) said: “As a council, we are committed to meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND, and their families, and to providing much-needed special school places in Nottinghamshire. This is why we are investing in this new SEND school, so it’s great to see work progressing. It’s vital that every child in Nottinghamshire, no matter what their background, gets the best possible education, in the best possible setting.”
Sara Williams, Head of Pre-Construction at Arc Partnership, said: “We are supporting Nottinghamshire County Council in meeting its target of 490 new SEND school places by 2026 – an incentive that will make a real difference to many young people and their families across the county for years to come. Working in close partnership with the council and Morgan Sindall, the school is designed, cost and project managed by Arc Partnership, ensuring real value is delivered not only for the council but the local area as well.”
Richard Fielding, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Midlands, said: “It means a lot to break ground on this project in collaboration with Nottinghamshire County Council, Arc Partnership, and SCAPE, as we look to deliver a school where children with social, emotional, and mental health needs can be inspired. And in the spirit of looking to the future, we’re working with Arc Partnership to promote sustainable construction technologies within local communities. Our team and local supply chain have already been instrumental in reducing the project’s overall embodied carbon by 37%, with more than 700 tonnes of CO2 saved on the project – that’s the equivalent to heating 260 homes annually.”