PRIMARY NEWS
United Infrastructure revamps SEN spaces for two Hammersmith & Fulham primary schools
United Infrastructure, which delivers critical infrastructure and property services to communities across the UK, is in the midst of a 14-week refurbishment programme for Brackenbury Primary School and Wormholt
Park Primary School in Hammersmith & Fulham.
The project will transform previous mainstream classrooms and educational spaces into a new Specialist Inclusion Base. The developments will establish new Special Educational Needs (SEN) teaching spaces, associated access routes and supporting facilities, creating an inclusive and enriching environment designed to help local children learn, develop and thrive. The creation of the new spaces has been funded by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
Schools are placing an increasing focus on creating inclusive learning environments that support the wellbeing and individual needs of every pupil. For some children with SEN, traditional classrooms can feel overwhelming or make it difficult to engage. Sensory spaces can provide a calmer, more adaptable environment that supports learning, communication and emotional regulation.
Discovery Education partners with ClickView on primary learning resource
Discovery Education has partnered with ClickView, the video learning platform used by over 11,000 schools and a fast-growing alternative to YouTube in classrooms. The partnership gives UK primary schools a clear
path to continue using Espresso, while gaining access to a wider range of curriculum-aligned video and teaching resources.
Espresso is one of the UK’s most recognised primary learning resources, trusted by teachers for years to support lesson planning and bring curriculum topics to life. Designed with teachers in mind, it combines high-quality videos, activities, presentations, quizzes and topical content to reduce workload while giving pupils rich, real-world learning experiences. Through the partnership, Espresso videos and resources are moving to ClickView, giving schools continued access to the Espresso content they know and value, with the added benefit of thousands more curriculum- aligned videos and classroom-ready resources in the same platform. By bringing Espresso into ClickView, schools will be able to access familiar Espresso resources in a dedicated Espresso Hub, while also benefiting from a wider library of curriculum-aligned videos, interactive quizzes, teaching resources and insights to support pupil engagement. Espresso joins ClickView alongside Tigtag and Twig, whose science and geography films and lessons were integrated in 2024. Schools will also be able to explore educational videos from a wide range of producers, including BBC Bitesize, BBC Teach, Horrible Histories, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Crash Course, TED-Ed, DreamWorks and more. Schools can renew today at their existing rate to keep Espresso and gain full access to ClickView at no extra cost. Schools that renew early will receive access to ClickView straight away, side by side with Espresso, giving teachers time to explore the wider library of curriculum-aligned videos and resources before the transition is complete.
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Sensory classrooms are designed to respond to a child’s needs through a combination of interactive equipment, sensory-stimulating features and calming elements such as light walls, bubble lamps and tactile boards. They can be used for lessons and group activities, as well as sensory breaks and one-to-one support, giving pupils greater flexibility to learn, communicate and explore in a way that feels accessible and enjoyable. The investment at Brackenbury and Wormholt Park will include bespoke sensory and DMX lighting systems, specialist acoustic ceilings and wall treatments, accessible wet room and WC adaptations, safety flooring and protective padding. United Infrastructure will also undertake internal remodelling to create new teaching and breakout spaces, alongside the installation of access control and door-entry systems and upgrades to electrical, fire alarm and wider mechanical and electrical services. Ricci Whiteside, Operations Manager at United Infrastructure, commented: “This is a powerful example of how the work we deliver can make a real difference to local communities. These new specialist spaces will support pupils’ learning, wellbeing and independence, while providing school staff with high-quality environments designed around the needs of the children who will use them every day.
“Across United Infrastructure, our work ranges from improving social housing and delivering net zero retrofit programmes to creating safer, more inclusive public buildings. We are proud to be expanding our work within the education sector and look forward to seeing the positive impact these new facilities will have on pupils, staff and families.”
Franche Community Primary
School invests in inclusive safety Franche Community Primary School in Kidderminster has strengthened its emergency evacuation arrangements with the installation of an Evac+Chair 300H MK5.
The equipment is intended to support the evacuation of pupils, staff and visitors who may be unable to use stairs independently, including those with reduced mobility or temporary injuries. The chair has already been used in a real-life incident at the school. A pupil who fractured their ankle
during breaktime was unable to use the stairs safely. Staff deployed the evacuation chair to assist the pupil from the upper floor, through reception and outside to a waiting taxi.
The pupil was subsequently treated for a minor fracture and returned to school within a few days.
The school has also trained staff in the use of the equipment. Adam Clarke, Site Manager at Franche Community Primary School, said: “The training was informative and practical, enabling us to cascade training throughout our team.”
The installation forms part of the school’s wider approach to emergency planning, including arrangements for evacuating people who may not be able to use the lift or stairs during an emergency. Claire Blakemore, Managing Director of Evac+Chair, said: “Effective evacuation planning needs to consider the needs of everyone in a building, including those with reduced mobility or temporary injuries. “Refuge areas can form part of an evacuation strategy, but arrangements also need to consider how people can ultimately reach a place of safety when lifts cannot be used.” F ranche Community Primary School was established in 1982 and serves pupils in the Kidderminster area. Staff have been trained to use the evacuation chair as part of the school’s emergency procedures.
September 2026
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