Hopescourt School

At the start of 2026, we completed work on Surrey’s flagship Net Zero Carbon Special Free School for Surrey County Council. Located in Walton-on-Thames, this school offers specialist places for up to 200 autistic pupils aged 4-19 years old, as well as those with communication and interaction needs.

Providing much-needed school spaces for local children with additional needs and disabilities, the new Hopescourt school was carefully designed to incorporate autistic-specific, highly specialised teaching and learning facilities, so that children can learn, grow, and succeed in an environment that meets their individual needs. Specially designed spaces support the school’s ethos of pause, breathe, think and flourish, ensuring a calm, nurturing and future‑focused educational environment for the students.

Richard Poulter, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in the South:

“This new school represents a crucial investment in our community, offering children with additional needs a dedicated environment where they can thrive and flourish. We are proud to have supported a project that will have such a positive, lasting impact on families in the area. With an office based in Weybridge, this project was particularly important to us. With a number of our people living in the surrounding area, it is a great feeling to have delivered such a positive project in our immediate community.”

Procured under the Southern Construction Framework (SCF), this purpose-built facility was designed, alongside HNW Architects, to support the school to go above and beyond the traditional curriculum, offering pupils opportunities to engage in outdoor learning, music, and a variety of other enriching activities.

Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council:

“Hopescourt School is a symbol of what can be achieved when partners work together with a shared vision, creating a school that is inclusive, sustainable, and truly life‑changing for Surrey children and their families.”

This project was part of Surrey’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Capital Programme which has seen a £211M investment aiming to create over 2,000 new specialist school places and improve facilities for 600+ children by 2030.

A Net Zero pedigree

This school is Net-Zero in Operation (NziO), increasing its longevity, future climate readiness, and supports the local environment in which it operates. Acting as Surrey’s pioneering NziO specialist free school, this school is model example for future schools in the area and embodies Willmott Dixon’s commitment to delivering sustainable infrastructure.

Recent sustainable construction achievements include:

• Queen Mary University of London’s new SBM building, a major sustainable retrofit project.
• In Flintshire, we delivered Croes Atti 2, a Net Zero in Operation care home.
• Last summer we delivered Hounsome Fields School, a 420‑pupil facility in Basingstoke that is now awaiting its Passivhaus certification.