Morgan Sindall to deliver £27 million school project

A construction group has been appointed to deliver a £27 million specialist school creating 160 places for young people with additional needs in Kent.

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Southern Home Counties business has been selected by the Department for Education (DfE) to build Inspire Academy in Gillingham.

The two-storey school will provide 90 places for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs and 70 for those with autism spectrum disorders.

Due for completion in spring 2028, the 3671sq metre building will feature 19 classrooms alongside science, art and design and technology facilities, a life skills teaching kitchen and sensory spaces.

Its design will include quiet and calming areas, acoustic measures to reduce noise and additional space per pupil to help minimise sensory overload.

Outside, Morgan Sindall will create play areas, a multi-use games area and raised planters where pupils can grow vegetables.

The contractor is also targeting at least 30 per cent local labour during construction, alongside six T-Level students, six apprentices and 18 work placements.

It will work with organisations including Mid Kent College, Waterfront UTC and Social Enterprise Kent to deliver employment and training opportunities.

Sustainability has also shaped the scheme, with Morgan Sindall’s CarboniCa tool helping identify design changes expected to save 240 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Ecological work has meanwhile seen common lizards and slow worms relocated to a protected area, which will remain part of the completed school site.

Guy Hannell, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said: “When it comes to SEND schools and SEMH provision in particular, catering for diverse learning needs will always require an innovative and collaborative approach. 

“Inspire Academy is a testament to this, as the care and detail that has gone into each aspect of the design is clear to see.

“Over the years, we’ve conducted a lot of research and worked closely with multiple stakeholders, especially the Department for Education, to understand the practical problems that teaching staff and pupils experience in SEND schools. 

“We’ve used these insights to create guidance on how to deliver the best schools possible and have successfully implemented them in multiple projects across the country. 

“We look forward to applying those same principles at Inspire Academy and enabling children and young people to reach their full potential.”

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