Woodlands Academy

Design That Understands the School Day

Woodlands Academy is an all-through SEND school, with specialist learning and therapy spaces for pupils, collaborative working environments for staff, and welcoming, accessible facilities for parents. The building brings these elements together to support a safe, settled school community where individual needs are met.

Overview

Woodlands Academy occupies a 2.35-hectare site off Woodlands Drive, just west of Scarborough town centre. The school sits between residential properties to the south and east, Scarborough General Hospital to the north, and land to the west identified for healthcare-related development. Designed for 136 pupils and approximately 62 full-time equivalent staff, the two-storey building provides 3,229 m² of accommodation, along with new external learning areas, play space, hard courts, playing fields, parking, landscaping, and service infrastructure. The project was delivered for the Department for Education, with Galliford Try as contractor and SPACE Architects leading the architectural design.

The completed building provides Woodlands Academy with an exceptional environment for SEND education. It brings together primary, secondary, shared, therapeutic and support spaces within a compact plan, carefully arranged to enable effective supervision and create a more settled daily experience for pupils and staff.

Year 2026
Location Scarborough
Client Department for Education
Project Sectors Education

Design Approach

The building is organised as an L-shape, with primary teaching in the east wing and secondary teaching in the north wing. These teaching areas are brought together by a central core that includes shared facilities, dining, and performance spaces. This arrangement gives the school a simple internal structure, while allowing different age groups and needs to be supported with appropriate levels of separation and access. Performance areas connect directly with the visitor entrance and dining spaces, allowing parts of the school to be opened securely for events or out-of-hours use.

At first-floor level, the teaching wings continue above, while shared resource areas, including quiet rooms, sensory spaces, and the library, are found within the main core. These quieter spaces are set apart from the school's busiest areas, allowing for small-group work and moments of withdrawal when pupils need a lower-stimulus setting.

Externally, the building uses buff brick for the central core, grey brick and dark metal cladding for the teaching wings, and corten-style feature areas to mark entrances and aid wayfinding. Coloured curtain wall reveals, louvres, and ceramic-glazed panels draw on the school’s branding, providing pupils with recognisable visual cues across the building. The material palette is durable enough for a school setting while softening the overall scale within a residential context.

Result

Woodlands Academy replaces a fragmented and outdated campus with a building that responds directly to the realities of SEND education. A carefully managed arrival sequence, with drop-off and pick-up set within a secure line, creates a more reliable transition between home and school. Clear circulation, strong supervision and a well-daylit environment help reduce anxiety and improve focus throughout the day. Spaces are arranged to balance structure with flexibility, allowing pupils to learn, withdraw or receive assistance as needed without disruption, with therapy, sensory and quiet spaces integrated within easy reach of teaching areas. New external play and outdoor learning areas extend these opportunities beyond the classroom, complemented by a MUGA and improved playing fields.

The building is also planned with long-term flexibility in mind, with performance, dining and visitor-facing spaces arranged so that parts of the school can operate independently outside normal hours, allowing for wider community use while maintaining high safeguarding standards. The result is a school that is both predictable and responsive, giving pupils an environment that accommodates a wide range of needs with consistency and care.

People

Routine, familiarity, and careful management

Woodlands Academy has been designed around the day-to-day needs of pupils with SEND, where routine, familiarity, and careful management are essential. Many pupils arrive with complex needs, and the building recognises that movement, noise, light, supervision and routine all influence how the school day unfolds.

The school’s Wellbeing Award reflects the academy’s commitment to a nurturing environment. The architecture supports that ethos through measured internal spaces, reduced overstimulation, accessible routes and a layout that helps staff provide the right care at the right time.

Planet

A fabric-first approach to net-zero design

Woodlands Academy has been designed and delivered to meet net-zero carbon in operation requirements. The building follows a fabric-first approach, with a highly insulated, airtight envelope developed to exceed baseline regulatory requirements and reduce energy demand before renewable systems are considered.

Photovoltaic panels are located on the roof, following a detailed analysis of annual energy yield. Natural ventilation is supported by the school’s position away from major roads, allowing teaching spaces to benefit from fresh air without relying solely on mechanical systems. The structure and spans were also reviewed during design development to reduce unnecessary material use and limit embodied carbon where possible.

The landscape strategy supports biodiversity across the site. Existing trees and hedgerows have been retained where practicable, particularly around the western and northern boundaries. New planting includes species-rich meadow, ornamental shrubs, hedges, individual trees and woodland planting. The scheme delivers a 23.40% biodiversity net gain in habitat units and a 26.22% gain in hedgerow units, exceeding the statutory requirement.

Place

The school becomes part of a broader civic landscape

Woodlands Academy provides Scarborough with a specialist school that sits comfortably within its surroundings and contributes to the wider community. Positioned between residential streets and the hospital campus, the school becomes part of a broader civic landscape, supporting families, staff and the local services connected to it. Its presence strengthens an existing educational site while offering improved facilities for pupils. Outdoor spaces, sports provision and accessible routes extend its role beyond the classroom, creating a setting that can support both daily school life and community activity.

In replacing outdated buildings, the academy establishes a more settled and purposeful environment. It offers a place where learning, care and independence are supported within a setting that reflects its neighbourhood and the people it serves.

Credits

End User The Woodlands Academy
Project Lead Paul Broadfoot
SPACE Team Brook Wilkinson, David Robinson, Leah Charlton, Robert Gibson
Design Team Apex Acoustics, Desco, OFR Consultants
Photography Andrew Hepinstall