Morgan Sindall appointed to build £27m SEND school

The government has appointed Morgan Sindall Construction’s Southern Home Counties business to build a £27 million SEND school in Kent.

Inspire Academy, located in Gillingham, will offer 90 social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs places, and 70 places for pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) when it opens in spring 2028.

The school will be split across 19 classrooms, a science laboratory, art room, design and technology workshop, an independent life skills teaching kitchen, dining hall, assembly hall, and offices. The school will feature quiet bays and calming areas connected to classrooms, hygiene rooms, shared teaching spaces, a sensory room, social spaces, and small group rooms.

Externally, Morgan Sindall will create play spaces, a multi-use games area (MUGA), and six raised planters so pupils can learn about food production by growing their own vegetables.

Designed in accordance with the DfE’s SEMH specifications, Inspire Academy will have more space per pupil than standard schools, a low arousal design to minimise sensory overload, and acoustic control measures to minimise noise.

Enhanced durability features include robust and tamper-resistant ironmongery, impact-resistant walls and doors, and smooth easy-clean surfaces. The school will also incorporate a range of security features including controlled access points, a secure perimeter, and CCTV.

Guy Hannell, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said: “When it comes to SEND schools and SEMH provision in particular, catering for diverse learning needs will always require an innovative and collaborative approach. Inspire Academy is a testament to this, as the care and detail that has gone into each aspect of the design is clear to see.”