West Leeds Specialist Inclusive Centre

The Requirement

When a special school in Leeds was destroyed by fire, a purpose-designed building on a new site adjacent to Farnley High School was required by Leeds City Council.

The Solution

The 1,000 sqm facility for children with special needs was designed and built by Yorkon, and handed over just five months after the contract was awarded.

Built around a central courtyard, the single-storey self-contained school accommodates 7 general classrooms; an ICT suite; design technology, science and food technology laboratories; music and art rooms, and offices.

Internally, the school has a light and bright design theme decorated in around 20 vibrant colours chosen by the children from each year. The building is constructed from 26 steel-framed modules, which were manufactured off-site and craned into position during half term. This approach minimised disruption to teaching at the adjacent school, which remained fully operational throughout the construction programme.

Yorkon designed, manufactured and fitted out the new school in a £1.2m contract, which also included provision of mechanical and electrical services, data cabling, laboratory facilities and benches, partitions and internal doors.

Comments from the Client

Peter Miller, Headteacher, West Leeds Specialist Inclusive Centre:

"Everyone thinks the new school is brilliant. Parents, students and staff are all genuinely delighted with the facilities. The quality of finish is impressive, the design was sufficiently flexible to meet our requirements and the speed of construction was critical. Now that the building is open, we have seen huge benefits to the school day and in the quality of education we can provide."