Case Study

DfE Compliant Inclusive Learning Hub Concept

Building type: SEND
Project price: Ā£1.4 & 2.4m
Completion date: 2024

TG Escapes are supporting SEND providers across the UK suffering from a shortage of places by designing flexible, attractive 16 and 32-place Inclusive Learning Hubs. In partnership with SEND specialist architects Haverstock, The Blue Iris Partnership, and Terra Firma Landscape Architects, we have crafted schemes that can meet the unique needs of many different settings.

Background

The escalating shortage of SEND and SEMH places across the UK has reached a critical point, leaving many parents, schools, and local authorities deeply concerned and struggling to meet the urgent needs of vulnerable children. We understand the challenges that come with trying to ensure that every child receives the support they need. In response to these needs, mainstream schools are increasingly being called upon to enhance their specialist resource provision, while specialist schools are working hard to expand their capacities. Ofstedā€™s emphasis on demonstrable inclusion underscores the importance of this work.

At TG Escapes, we recognise the complexities you face, and we are committed to being part of the solution. Our approach centres on designing quick, cost-effective building solutions that not only meet immediate needs but also look toward a sustainable future.

We have engaged in comprehensive research, consulting with local authorities, mainstream and specialist schools, and SEND experts. This collaboration has informed the development of pre-designed, DfE Spec 21 compliant solutions for both primary and secondary settings.

Principles

Our designs aim to keep specialist provision within mainstream schools wherever possible, facilitating inclusive education with flexible spaces that blend seamlessly between the main school and the inclusive learning hub.

Each building is organised around a central activity area, with classrooms thoughtfully designed to offer children and young people a choice of spaces, both inside and outside, where they can retreat to support their learning and sensory comfort. These options empower students to find environments that best meet their needs, fostering emotional regulation and creating a supportive atmosphere. Additionally, the options of therapy, sensory, and meeting spaces provide Multi-Disciplinary Teams with a high-quality environment where they can effectively collaborate and support their work with children, ensuring that every childā€™s needs are comprehensively met.

These buildings are designed to be net-zero in operation, utilising air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels (PVs) to achieve this goal. Our designs also follow biophilic principles, maximising natural light and ventilation, using sustainable materials, and creating strong visual connections to outdoor planting and landscaping. This is all part of TG Escapesā€™ commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon footprints in both the manufacture and construction phases.

Specifications and Funding

The requirements of the Department for Education (DfE) Output Specification are thorough and demanding, ensuring that educational buildings meet the necessary standards for design, construction, and operational performance. Our 16-place and 32-place concepts meet Spec-21 standards for robustness, fire safety, acoustics, sustainability, and adaptability. We understand that each site is unique, so our team provides designs tailored to your specific needs, taking into account ground conditions, access, and other factors. The designs include a variety of spaces which can be used to support students with a range of needs including ASD, ADHD, MSI, and SEMH.

Timber Frame construction is inherently robust. As a natural product, timber has an impressive strength-weight ratio, making it the perfect construction product. Internal partitions are formed using structural timber, unlike many who choose non-structural studs for partitions. We have also allowed for the walls to have severe-duty plasterboard, which has the highest robustness rating available. Acoustic standards in BB93 are achieved with standardised acoustic wall types along with Class A Ceilings and Acoustic Bass Pads.

Our hubs are also designed with funding requirements in mind, allowing academies, free schools, and local authorities to confidently apply for grants.

External space

We know how important outdoor spaces are for emotional regulation, especially for pupils with ASD and SEMH. Our designs integrate these external areas with the internal spaces, offering a variety of environments to suit different needs.

Passive, quiet areas with sensory-friendly furniture are enhanced by planting designed to engage the senses of touch, sound, and smell. Active zones, meanwhile, provide safe, enclosed spaces for exercise, with features like outdoor trampolines and trim trails. We have also considered the need for habitat areas to support bio-diversity across the site.

We believe that containment doesnā€™t have to feel restrictive. The use of trees, hedges, and other planting elements not only softens boundaries but also promotes health and well-being.

32 Place DfE Compliant Inclusive Learning Hub

Delivery

With over 20 years of experience working in school environments, TG Escapes understands the unique challenges that come with delivering projects in sensitive, operational settings. Our team is committed to ensuring that construction causes minimal disruption to the daily lives of students and staff, working closely with schools and local authorities to deliver high-quality, functional spaces that meet urgent needs.

The key elements of our designs are already completed and ready to go, allowing us to significantly reduce lead times. However, each building can be tailored to meet specific needs. By utilizing a modular timber frame system, we can expedite the construction process while adhering to sustainable principles. Timber, as a renewable resource, plays a critical role in reducing the carbon footprint of our buildings. Additionally, our off-site construction approach ensures that each building is manufactured to the highest standards in a controlled factory environment. This results in intelligent building envelopes that are fully finished and rigorously tested before arriving on site.

By choosing TG Escapes, local authorities can avoid the significant costs and logistical challenges of sending pupils out of their local area and instead ā€œInvest to Saveā€. Our ready-to-go, high-quality solutions provide a seamless way to expand specialist provision and create supportive, inclusive, high-quality, bespoke solutions that meet the diverse needs of all students.

Costs

The net-zero 32-place setting can be completed in 30 weeks onsite at a cost of Ā£2.4m or Ā£75,000 per student, and the 16-place setting in 24 weeks onsite at a cost of Ā£1.4m or Ā£87,500 per student. Costs quoted include secure outdoor areas but exclude planting and equipment which will be dependent on the specific needs of each setting.

"What is really impressive about TG Escapes is their ambition to offer a product that is so accessible to local authorities and schools. It's a product that is very high quality and really meets the needs of inclusion. We want to partner with people that believe in inclusion and understand how much a new provision like this could vastly improve a school setting and really work towards a genuinely inclusive mainstream school."
Claire Barton
Partner Haverstock Associates