Our inclusive design philosophy
HLM Architects
Sustainable Architecture, Interiors, Landscapes and Masterplanning practice with a Thoughtful Design ethos at its heart
The past few years have seen a much needed increase in the provision of more specialised facilities for pupils with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), accompanied by a growing understanding that this requires a highly tailored approach rather than following more traditional school design methodology. It’s the only way to ensure that every pupil has a chance to thrive and reach their full potential.
Many pupils with special educational needs can find the school environment overwhelming and face many daily challenges, whether social, practical, sensory, physical, communication or other. While there is standard guidance and legislation for education building design to accommodate physical disabilities, other SEND needs for example, pupils with conditions such as ADHD and Autism, can be overlooked due to their more bespoke and complex nature.
As architects, we must consider how to deliver engaging learning spaces that better address the requirements of a much more diverse set of needs. According to a Department for Catherine Ward SEN Lead Education (DfE) report, the number of pupils with special education needs rose to almost 1.5 million last year (that’s 16.5% of all pupils in the UK). It is therefore good to see that thinking is shifting accordingly around SEND design principles to create more engaging inclusive places in all areas of the built environment. For instance, designers are considering the major factors that affect how young people with ASC experience their surroundings and therefore what to bear in mind when designing the most fitting education facilities for them: proxemics, compartmentalisation, legibility, movement and sensory overload.
Designing for SEND goes beyond the practicalities and needs a holistic approach, thinking how school buildings can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing, boost confidence and motivation, adapt to individual learning and physical needs and provide the right support and safeguarding. Embedding sustainability is another increasingly urgent priority in every new development.
Ysgol Y Deri, Penarth
Ysgol Y Deri in Penarth aims to embrace a wide range of learning opportunities all under one roof and create a fully inclusive learning community. This unique project brings together the diverse learning environments for SEN alongside secondary school learning with the aim of presenting opportunities and efficiencies that would not exist if they were separate facilities. The school provides education and care for 220 pupils with a wide spectrum of learning needs in two distinct separate zones; one for Moderate Learning Disabilities (MLD) and one for Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Learning (ASD) – and has appeared in the BBC mini-series programme ‘A Special School’ to showcase a day in the life in one of Britain’s biggest SEN schools.
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“We started with the idea that we would want a school but delivered in a different way to the schools we’d come from, and we had the opportunity to design the school as a bespoke solution rather than a modular system. This came with its own challenges, as none of us had done this before.
Much of an SEN school is the same as a mainstream school. There are, however, important differences, particularly around specialist rooms, specialist provisions and space and approaches to design. HLM are particularly good at understanding these needs and delivering them.
As a consequence, we now have a school that looks unlike any other SEN school, and delivers in a completely different way in terms of its curriculum and its provisions. Space is one of the most important aspects for an SEN school, and in this school there’s a lot of it. Wide communal areas and excellent storage solutions provide for a relaxed and open environment. This has a very positive impact on behaviour and wellbeing.”
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Christopher Britten, Headteacher Ysgol Y Deri in Penarth
This article is a snippet from our new Schools Designed for Everyone brochure, follow this link to download a copy and find out how we're making better places.
Find out more, contact our SEN Lead, Catherine Ward.
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