Special needs school for Sunderland awarded to Kier

Kier has been appointed by Sunderland City Council to create a new £12.5M special educational needs (SEN) school for disabled children. The project has been procured through the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) framework.

The 4000m² new-build school is set to replace a current facility that is at the end of its life. Provsions for pupils will include rebound therapy, a hydrotherapy pool, sensory facilities, soft play and each class will have a storage area for mobility equipment. Informal play areas and grass playing fields will also be provided across the wider site, alongside a wetlands area, nature trail and habitat area.

Dan Doherty, regional director at Kier Regional Building North & Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to deliver this project, which will strengthen our relationship with Sunderland City Council. We will use our range of experience in delivering first-class education projects to build a high-class facility for Sunderland.”

Sunderland City Council’s spokesperson said: “All of our children and students always deserve the very best education, the very best facilities and as a City Council we’ve always been committed to ensuring this.

“The new build at Sunningdale is another example of our continuing programme to update and provide the very best for all young people.

“Commissioned by the City Council’s Neighbourhood’s Directorate and designed in-house under the direction of the Capital Projects Team, we look forward to working with Kier on these new facilities for children with severe learning and physical difficulties.”

The facility is due to be completed in the summer of 2022.