Improving facilities at Yewstock School by creating a new 14-19 base on the Sturminster Newton High School site.
The project and background
Yewstock School in Sturminster Newton is a school for children with profound and multiple, severe, moderate or complex learning difficulties. The previous school facilities had become inadequate for the needs of many of the students. The accommodation was a mixture of temporary and outdated classroom spaces.
The project improved the 14-19 facilities at Yewstock School by providing a new base on the Sturminster Newton High School site. A new single storey building has been constructed and includes:
- 5 classbases
- a commercial training kitchen
- a multi-purpose arts studio
- social and recreational spaces
- other learning areas and support facilities
- external learning and social spaces within a secure perimeter
- a car park with zone for minibus drop-off
The project started on site in the May of 2014 and was completed in the summer of 2015.
The design
The new building is single storey and built around a central social courtyard space. The scale of the building is in keeping with the nearby school buildings and houses. The main entrance is next to the minibus pick up and drop off area. There is also a second entrance for pedestrian flows from Yewstock School.
The courtyard provides an internal secure environment around which the teaching accommodation is arranged. The internal circulation will flow from the entrance points around the courtyard space, providing views and natural daylight as well as access to the classrooms and other accommodation.
Each classroom has its own south facing mono-pitched roof. These roofs provide the classrooms with daylight and natural cross ventilation. Accessible design solutions include the creation of pedestrian routes to link the new building to the main access point of the site and the main buildings of Sturminster Newton High School, and a pedestrian path to Yewstock School.
A 3d journey around the design is available for viewing: