Sir Geoff Hurst School is a new build 64 place school for students aged 7-16 with complex and severe social emotional and mental health (SEMH). The brief also required the school to offer residential accommodation with a domestic feel while also offering ease of movement for staff between the spaces.
Education
Chelmsford, UK
We worked closely with the school team to ensure the brief caters to the needs of their students, while also providing flexibility for the future. The varied age range of the students, which can change year on year, prompted the classrooms to be split into different groupings. This also facilitates a sense of progression through the school, as classrooms for each key stage will have a different aspect and feel. Equal access to the specialist teaching spaces and sports facilities from the classrooms further improves this flexibility.
Offering a homey feel, the residential accommodation is arranged into 3 houses, each housing five students. Despite site constraints, each house is designed in contract to the typical institutional finish of schools. With its placement in the landscape emphasising the journey between home and school, alongside it’s domestic, buff brick materiality, the residential provision provides a clear transition between publicised and private space.
The design has transformed the school into a safe, nurturing environment that supports emotional wellbeing and academic growth. Flexible learning spaces and homely residential units promote independence, stability, and a clear sense of progression. Staff benefit from intuitive layouts, enabling responsive care and fostering stronger student relationships across all age groups.
