Willmott Dixon has been appointed through the Department for Education’s Construction Framework to build a £21.4m school for West Northamptonshire Council.

Construction work on the 230 space special education needs and disabilities (SEND) school in Tiffield, Northamptonshire has started, with completion set for summer 2025.

The school for pupils aged four to 18 will include a variety of facilities including specialist teaching spaces, a soft playroom, a sensory room and a rebound therapy room.

The three-storey building has a sustainable design, being powered by photovoltaics (PVs) and heated by air source heat pumps.

This appointment is the latest in a series of SEND schools for Willmott Dixon. Other include a £100m SEND school programme in Lincolnshire and a net-zero in operation SEND school in Wiltshire.

Nick Heath, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We have a strong record of delivering SEND schools - helping local authorities to meet the specialist educational requirements of local children and their families is something we take great pride in.

“Alongside specialist facilities, we are also helping customers to future-proof their schools by embedding sustainability. In the case of Tiffield School, this will also help to meet the council’s aspirations to be carbon neutral by 2030.”

The new school is being built on a 20,217sqm site formerly belonging to St Johns Centre.

Due to the rural landscape surrounding, designs have ensured the new build blends in with the rural setting.

Joining Willmott Dixon on the project team are Associated Architects, Hexa Consulting, JEH Planning, Ares Landscape Architects and SVM Building Services Design.