Hopescourt School

This will be Surrey’s flagship Net Zero Carbon Special Free School and plays a crucial role in Surrey’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Capital Programme.

When complete in Spring 2026, it will offer specialist school places for 200 autistic pupils aged 4-19 years as well as those with communication and interaction needs.

The new facility is designed to go beyond the traditional curriculum, offering pupils opportunities to engage in outdoor learning, music, and a variety of other enriching activities. The new school will support the school’s ethos of “pause, breathe, think and flourish.”

Procured under the Southern Construction Framework, this permanent home for the school will be ‘Net Zero Carbon in Operation’ (NZiO) when complete.

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. We are proud to support a project that will have such a positive, lasting impact on families in the area.”

Due to complete in Spring 2026, the school will bring much-needed capacity for local children with additional needs and disabilities. Designed with autistic-specific, highly specialised teaching and learning spaces, the school will ensure children can learn, grow, and succeed in an environment that meets their individual needs.

Alex Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Bourne Education Trust:

“We are delighted that the development of Hopescourt School’s permanent site is underway, and I know that our students, their families and our staff will be excited to see the progress of the new school building over the forthcoming months. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Surrey County Council, Willmott Dixon and with Freemantles School in Woking, and to seeing our shared vision for the permanent Hopescourt School site become a reality for children with special educational needs and disabilities.”

A Net Zero pedigree

Other recent NZiO examples include the Bridgend College redevelopment, a new campus for Wigan & Leigh College, and St Lawrence SEND School in Sleaford. The company was also recently appointed to create Oxfordshire County Council’s new net zero head office in Oxford, and its pipeline of Passivhaus, net zero carbon, and/or BREEAM outstanding projects is worth over £1.4bn