A new specialist education facility at St John the Baptist School in Woking has been completed and will welcome its first students in September, creating 30 new places for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Named The Aquinas Centre, the new building is part of Surrey County Council’s commitment to ensuring children and young people can access the right support without needing to travel long distances.

The centre will initially welcome six Year 7 pupils this September before gradually expanding to provide 30 specialist places. By increasing local SEND provision, more children will be able to learn closer to home, maintain important relationships with family and friends, and remain connected to their local community.

Helyn Clack, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, said: “The Aquinas Centre is a fantastic addition to Surrey’s SEND provision, creating 30 new specialist places that will help more children and young people access the support they need closer to home. This investment reflects our commitment to providing inclusive education opportunities that enable every child to thrive within their local community.”

Designed by sustainable construction firm TG Escapes as an inclusion base within a mainstream school setting, The Aquinas Centre will provide specialist support while enabling pupils to remain active members of the wider school community. The building includes three classrooms, a teaching kitchen, breakout spaces, four therapy rooms and outdoor learning areas designed to support a range of learning and wellbeing needs.

The £3.6 million project forms part of Surrey County Council’s Inclusion and Additional Needs Partnership Strategy to expand local SEND provision and create more opportunities for children and young people to achieve positive outcomes in their education.

The building was delivered by modular construction specialist TG Escapes in just 35 weeks, helping to minimise disruption for existing pupils and ensuring the facility is ready for the start of the new school year.

Karl Stokes, Managing Director at TG Escapes, said: “The Aquinas Centre is an example of our Inclusive Learning Hub concept in action, designed to integrate SEND provision seamlessly into a mainstream school setting. Sustainable, purpose-built facilities like these reduce barriers to education and help foster genuinely inclusive learning environments where students with special educational needs can thrive alongside their peers.”

The building has also been designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating solar panels, air source heat pumps and heat recovery ventilation to create an energy-efficient learning environment.

Natalie Bramhall, Cabinet Member for Property, Infrastructure and Waste, said: “This project demonstrates how innovative, sustainable construction can help us deliver high-quality facilities quickly and efficiently for Surrey residents. The Aquinas Centre provides a modern, energy-efficient learning environment while supporting our ambitions to reduce carbon emissions across the county’s estate.”

Anna Dwyer, Deputy Head at St John the Baptist School, said: “The Aquinas Centre embodies everything we want education to be: inclusive, ambitious and rooted in the dignity of every young person. We recognised a growing need to provide enhanced support for students with the most complex SEND, ASD and SEMH needs, while ensuring they remain fully involved in the life of our school community, and the Aquinas Centre is designed to meet that need.

“This is not about creating a separate experience for our students, but a more inclusive one. Young people accessing the Aquinas Centre will remain full members of our school community, learning alongside their peers while benefiting from tailored support when needed. We are incredibly proud of what this will mean for current and future generations of students and their families.”

SEND Inclusion Base at St John the Baptist School by TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings

Sensory Room in SEND Inclusion Base at St John the Baptist School by TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings

Classroom in SEND Inclusion Base at St John the Baptist School by TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings

SEND Inclusion Base at St John the Baptist School by TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings

SEND Inclusion Base at St John the Baptist School by TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings

Reception in SEND Inclusion Base at St John the Baptist School by TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings

Life Skills Kitchen in SEND Inclusion Base at St John the Baptist School by TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings

SEND Inclusion Base at St John the Baptist School by TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings