Creating spaces where every student can thrive

At Kendall Kingscott, we work with schools to deliver spaces that that support a child’s learning and wellbeing. Designing for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is about more than meeting standards, it’s about creating spaces that feel safe, calm and inclusive.

Our approach begins with listening. By working closely with schools, councils and local communities, we learn what makes a difference for students and staff. Sometimes it’s the introduction of a quiet breakout area or sensory room; other times it’s rethinking circulation space or bringing nature into the heart of a building. Whatever the solution, our designs focus on helping students feel supported, confident and able to flourish.

Practical solutions that remove barriers

Across Cornwall, we have delivered hygiene rooms and access improvements that ensure students with complex needs can move confidently and be cared for with dignity. Hygiene rooms are highly specialised spaces that typically include features such as height adjustable changing beds, overhead electric hoists, accessible toilets and showers, along with sufficient space for carers. These facilities, guided by DfE Building Bulletin standards, are now essential features for many schools, and we have created them within both primary and secondary settings, sometimes through refurbishing existing rooms, and also by carving out entirely new spaces.

Access improvements have also played a major role in our work. From building compliant ramps to carefully designed external routes, we’ve helped schools open up areas that were previously difficult or impossible for some pupils to reach. Whether it’sadapting a stepped entrance or reshaping a landscape to provide inclusive access, these interventions directly affect students’ daily experiences.

These projects are typically commissioned by Cornwall Council when a student with specific needs joins a school. Each time, we work collaboratively to identify the practical obstacles and deliver solutions that ensure pupils can participate fully and safely in school life.

Specialist facilities that grow with schools

Alongside smaller interventions, our team has delivered a wide range of SEND focused refurbishments, expansions and new buildings.

At Oldfield School, we created a new single-story teaching block for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), bringing together classrooms, group rooms, a staff office, canteen and carefully considered circulation space.

At Warden Park Secondary School, we are shaping a specialist support centre that balances the school’s aspirations with available budgets, all while minimising disruption to learning.

Across eight schools in Cornwall, we refurbished existing teaching spaces to create new Area Resource Bases (ARBs) for both primary and secondary pupils, transforming layouts and reconfiguring environments to meet a broad spectrum of needs.

Recently for a school which was part of a Multi-Academy Trust we developed an enhanced feasibility study for a new ARB designed for up to 30 students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The proposal included around 650m² of internal accommodation alongside engaging external features such as climbing walls and soft landscaped areas.

At Saltash School, we designed approximately 200m² of new general teaching accommodation to support the expansion of the existing ARB — a facility we had previously delivered for the school.

We are currently working as delivery partner for Cornwall Council, and we’re progressing a series of feasibility studies for new SEN ARBs within primary schools, targeting delivery for September 2026.

And across Cornwall, our ARB projects include completed schemes at Tregolls Academy, Hayle Academy, Saltash Community School, Redruth School and Bodmin Beacon Academy.

Designing for real impact

Every project is different, shaped by the needs of each school and its community. But our goal remains constant: to design spaces that make a meaningful difference for students, families and educators. From small interventions to major new facilities, we’re proud to help create environments where every child can thrive.