Reef Way SEMH School
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ECE Planning
ECE Planning, working in collaboration with ECE Architecture and Willmott Dixon, secured unanimous approval in January 2020 on behalf of East Sussex County Council for a new SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health) school in Hailsham. The three-storey facility has now been handed over and provides specialist education for 80 students aged 4–16 with SEMH and ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder).
The project forms part of East Sussex County Council’s strategic approach to enhancing specialist educational provision countywide, with the school operated as a free school by an independent provider.
Located on a 2-hectare sloping site, the development required extensive regrading and drainage measures due to complex ground conditions. ECE Planning provided expert guidance throughout the planning process, ensuring ecological considerations remained central to the scheme. The site’s biodiversity; home to newts, bats and birds, was carefully protected, with mitigation and enhancement measures embedded in the design.
Delivered to an ambitious brief, the scheme now offers a purpose-built, high-quality environment tailored to support the wellbeing and development of pupils and staff alike.
Photography by Peter Langdown, courtesy of Willmott Dixon.
