Castle School for SEN pupils secures planning permission

28 July 2010

Last year, Kier Moss and Nightingale Associates won a design competition to improve the accommodation of the Castle School Post-16 facility for West Berkshire Council. The project has now taken a significant step forward after securing planning permission and started on site.

The design of the new-build Castle School is tailored to meet the needs of up to 30 students with various learning difficulties, including autistic spectrum disorder, and aims to maximise the spatial quality of the teaching spaces using natural daylight, the best surrounding views and protection from sources of noise.

The site is situated alongside the existing site of Newbury College and the land surrounding it. It is hoped that being located within the grounds of the mainstream college will assist the pupils of Castle School in continuing onto higher education.

“It’s fantastic to be working on a project that will have such a positive impact upon children with special educational needs. We’re working hard to design a building that will accommodate for the pupils’ varying moods and emotions, creating a flexible, practical and welcoming design solution. With secured planning, we’ve started on site.”

Lindsay Webb, Architect, Nightingale Associates

The new school building also aims to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ through the specification of material with low embodied energy and the use of natural ventilation. The plan has also been created to capture and utilise natural resources, such as the wind in the east/west cross-ventilation and the use of daylight suited to the classrooms.

Nightingale Associates was approached by Kier Moss to enter the limited number design competition alongside three other contracting teams for the design of a special needs school. Subsequently, the team was awarded a commission by West Berkshire Council, working with the contractor, to submit the £2m project for planning.

It is planned to reach practical completion in February 2011.