The Cedars Academy: Bespoke and Purpose-Built Facility for SEMH Pupils

Endeavour @ The Cedars – SEMH Provision

“With Leicestershire Country Council facing a huge demand for provisions to help support learners with social, emotional and mental health needs, we [Lionheart Educational Trust] called in S2E to support the delivery of a bespoke and purpose-built facility to help meet the needs of some of the county’s most vulnerable young people.”

Timeline

  • Demolitions – October to November 2021

  • Ground works – January to March 2022

  • Building delivery – March 2022

  • Completion – April 2022

Total construction budget: £600,000

The Task - A Therapeutic Unit

Cedars Academy in Birstall is part of the Lionheart Educational Trust, a Leicestershire-based MAT. Endeavour is a small, 15-place, therapeutic unit for students with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties aged 11 to 16. It focuses on offering rewarding experiences and functional life skills for young people to achieve their absolute best.

The existing disused youth club on the site needed to be demolished as a first stage of the works, and the external appearance of the new building had to match a previous project with a mixture of timber cladding and render.

The Solution – Specifically Designed

S2e instigated a project that has spaces specifically designed for small group work, and with all areas of the building accessible.

They undertook full site investigations to establish ground conditions. They then orientated the building to allow separate access so it can operate independently from our main school. This ensures secure site arrangements meet stringent safeguarding requirements.

Altogether, a really successful project in tandem with construction firm Hawker Modular.

The Outcome - Students Thrive

Our fabulous new Endeavour facility comprises a single-storey six-bay modular building with three classrooms, a meeting/visitors’ room, two multi-sensory rooms, general and accessible WCs, a cleaner’s room and a hub room for IT connections to the main site.

Our young people feel safe and secure as they develop their skills and abilities at a natural pace to the fullest potential.

To download a copy of this case study, please click here.

Adam RichardsSurveyors to EducationProject Management, Modular Block