Tilbury Douglas completes construction of a brand-new DfE school – Elm Tree Primary School

Tilbury Douglas has successfully completed the construction of a brand-new facility in the West Midlands, Elm Tree Primary School, on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE).

The new build single storey school will be for autistic children age range five to 11 who have additional learning needs. Once full, the school will support 128 pupils from across Sandwell.

The physical environment was designed based on the sensory needs of the pupils, ensuring the school has adequate space for discrete subject areas, break out spaces, therapy spaces and sensory support, as well as outdoor areas.

The project also included a shared use of High Point Academy’s entrance, a new build school project completed by Tilbury Douglas in 2021.

Simon Butler, Managing Director Building Central at Tilbury Douglas, said: “On behalf of the DfE, we are proud to complete this new school for the Victoria Academies Trust. The new facilities will enable the students to learn in a state-of-the-art environment which suits their varied needs.”

With a focus on social value throughout this project, the team achieved a social value return on investment of £4.5m and hosted 30 weeks of work placements, 128 weeks of apprentice training and delivered 240 hours of educational support.