The Village School is a replacement building for 235 pupils ranging in ages 4-19 with Special Educational Needs. This scheme for the London Borough of Brent involved the redevelopment of the site previously occupied by Grove Park & Hay Lane Schools. The proposals also included an eight bedroom Short Break Centre for overnight and weekend respite. The school provision is for a wide spectrum of SEN pupils inclusive of Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The finished building was one of the largest SEN schools in the country.

The project vision was to create a welcoming setting with three ‘villages’ for 4–7, 7–14 and 14–19 aged pupils with a mix of needs, within which specific classrooms would have particular SEN focuses. Each village has its own teaching resources, specialist areas and dining and all classrooms have direct access to their own external space. The overall plan had to overcome the existing site slope and join up with the 6th form building to the top of the site.

The school and Short Break Centre were designed with a logical layout in mind to help pupils to move around their school with ease. Separate areas are defined by bright colours and symbols and all signage carefully positioned and well lit.

Client:
The London Borough Of Brent

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