BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
How schools can build communities
on educational infrastructure, meeting a growing demand for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) places with purposeful design responses, and adhering to a high sustainability standard.
With thoughtful planning, schools can be transformed into vibrant hubs that extend these spaces beyond the 9-to-3 school day. From libraries and sports facilities accessible to residents, to healthcare services and adult education programs hosted on school grounds, carefully considered and inclusive designs can strengthen social infrastructure while maximising public investment.
M
organ Sindall Construction’s Area Director in Essex, Ryan Liversage, shares his thoughts on how schools can be built to serve not only their students, but their wider communities as well.
ThSchools are important hubs within their local communities, being spaces that not only educate pupils, but which form an active part in the social, cultural, health, and leisure landscape of their area. This means that when they are being built, it’s important to consider not just how to create an inspiring learning space, but also how they can be designed to meet the needs of nearby residents.
For today’s schools, designing community factors into the bricks and mortar can be a complex task. New-build and refurbishment projects must address multiple challenges, such as how population growth is intensifying pressure
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www.education-today.co.uk March 2026
We regularly work with a long list of stakeholders on developments that ask how a school can best satisfy local demands, for example in Essex this can include collaborating with the Department for Education, Essex County Council, academy trusts, teachers, pupils, and local stakeholders. While no two school projects
are the same, there are several lessons that have come from this experience which can inform facilities able to meet both educational and community goals.
Creating a community fabric To build schools that can transform neighbourhoods, it is important to prioritise dual-use principles from the outset. At a basic level, this can include separate entrances to allow community access to libraries, sports facilities, and meeting rooms without compromising student security. Additionally, ground-floor community wings with independent circulation routes enable evening and weekend use while keeping teaching areas secure.
Full-sized sports halls, all-weather pitches, and swimming pools represent significant capital investment, so designing these facilities with community leagues and adult fitness programmes in mind ensures they can provide more than PE
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