Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Pick Everard Completes New Special Education School in England

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/03/24

Multidisciplinary consultancy Pick Everard recently announced that construction is complete on a new specialist school for students with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs in Shepshed, Leicestershire, England, according to a news release. Bowman Academy will open in September 2024 and serve students ages 4–16.

The academy will feature amenities like vinyl spaces for practical learning purposes, a sensory dark room, a calming room, and practical teaching spaces including a domestic kitchen and library. The school has capacity for 64 students, 16 primary-aged children (two ground-floor classrooms) and 48 secondary-aged children (two ground-floor classrooms and four more on the floor above).


Bowman Academy
Image courtesy of Pick Everard

“Working on SEND [Special Educational Needs and Disabilities] schools is always a privilege, with unique design applications and special consideration for the needs of a diverse range of learning,” said Joe West, Pick Everard associate. “Creating an environment that is both functional and comfortable for pupils was central to the aims of the project, which should in turn aid the school in attracting and retaining students in the area.”

The school also partnered with general contractor Bowmer + Kirkland for the project’s construction.

Sustainability initiatives include a “fabric-first” approach to increase insulation, heat recovery, and air-tightness. The school also features high-efficiency boilers, LED lighting with occupancy and daylight controls, and a photovoltaic panel array that offsets ten percent of the school’s energy consumption.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Mary Washington Selects Builder for New Theater, Dance Facility

    The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., recently announced that it has selected construction and development firm Skanska to lead a series of renovations and upgrades to fine arts facilities, according to a news release.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.