Oxlow Bridge SEND School

Oxlow Bridge SEND School is for pupils and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), most of whom will have associated Physical Difficulties (PD) and Multi-Sensory Impairments (MSI). This school will cater for a broad range of needs with 80-85% pupils non-ambulant from the outset, with this proportion projected to rise to 100%.

The schools will have capacity for 100 places, covers 3770m2 of floor space and is designed to support children and young people aged 4 to 19 with PMLD, with over 80% of pupils requiring mobility support. The school will help Barking and Dagenham meet the demand for specialist school places.

Key features

• Specialist facilities – sensory and therapy rooms, a hydrotherapy pool with an adjustable floor, and a multi-use hall featuring an integrated trampoline for therapy.
• Outdoor learning and exploration – a bespoke outdoor areas designed for sensory engagement.
• Fast-tracked approval – Led by Be First, the project secured planning permission rapidly, with referrals to the GLA and a Planning Committee presentation.
• Sustainable design – The school will be carbon net zero in operation, aligning with the government’s emissions targets for 2050.

Additional highlights:

Optimised drop-off and collection - designed to make the process smoother. Pupils will arrive via minibus or private car. Pupil arrival and departure is staggered, and the site has been designed to have drop of bays and an entrance and exit gate to prevent congestion on site and allow the school to operate smoothly, as this is such an important part of the school day

Purpose built classrooms - 16 large general classrooms, each on benefitting from direct access to an individual external covered teaching area, as well as access to additional outdoor areas for play, learning and sensory exploration. 3 specific class spaces for art/ music, food and life skills are also provided.

Accessibility - Ceiling mounted tracked hoists will connect classrooms to adjacent hygiene rooms and specialist therapy spaces. Large rooflights to provide natural light to corridors and open areas of shared storage areas will help to make circulation spaces feel more comfortable.

Community access – Conditional access will be provided to the hydrotherapy pool outside of school operating hours.

Sustainability

The site will feature 33 new trees, flower-rich perennial planting, hedges, and a green roof, contributing to air quality neutrality and a sustainable environment

The building and how it relates to the site has been carefully designed to ensure the impact of the surrounding industrial uses have been appropriately mitigated and to maximise the efficient operation of the school.