Delivering a sustainable and supportive learning environment where children and young people can thrive

Paddock SEND School - Engineering and Sustainability Services

To meet rising demand for specialist education, Wandsworth Borough Council embarked on a major expansion of the Paddock SEND School in Tooting to create a dedicated site for secondary-age students. They engaged our multidisciplinary team, partnered with Willmott Dixon, to help deliver a landmark, net zero facility that sets a new standard for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) learning environments in South London.

We provided civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and public health engineering as well as sustainability, fire, and transportation planning services from Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stages 1–4. The scheme transformed the existing building through sensitive refurbishment and modernization, while clearing surrounding structures to make way for a high-performance, new-build extension.

Upgrades included a centralized mechanical ventilation system, energy-efficient lighting, and structural reconfiguration to improve accessibility and support students’ diverse needs. Our team incorporated a natural ventilation with heat recycling system and rooftop photovoltaic array, significantly enhancing the school’s energy efficiency and contributing to its net zero operation. We also delivered the site’s transportation strategy, introducing a safe one-way system for student drop-off and collection, alongside new electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Our appointment extended beyond design. We served as technical advisor during the pre-construction services agreement and construction phases, overseeing that sustainability, quality and performance aspirations were fully realized on site.

The result is an inspiring, future-ready place of learning that achieves BREEAM Excellent for the refurbished building and BREEAM Outstanding for the new extension. The expanded school provides 64 additional SEND places—bringing total capacity to 192—and delivers an environment where children and young people can thrive.