Building work has started to create the new social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) school in Bracknell Forest on the site of a vacant primary school. The old Warfield CE Primary School in All Saints Rise is being partially demolished and remodelled to create the Hawthorn Academy’s new building, which will include a new 2 storey teaching block.
Once finished, it will provide 50 school places for 11 to 16-year-olds with special educational need and disabilities (SEND). The Hawthorn Academy welcomed its first pupils in September at a temporary site in the borough. Pupils will be taught at the temporary site while the building work to create the school’s permanent home is carried out.
Cllr Roy Bailey, cabinet member for children and young people visited the site last month. He said:
“It was great to witness the start of the demolition of the old Warfield primary school as it’s the first big step in creating our new, state-of-the-art special school building in Bracknell Forest.
“The new social emotional and mental health school called Hawthorn Academy, opened at a temporary site in September, but the site in Warfield will be its permanent home.
“The building work has a way to go but once finished, it will provide 50 school places for 11 to 16-year-olds with special educational need and disabilities. Being able to create new specialist provisions for our children and young people is key to offering them the support and education they need and deserve.
“This really is an exciting project and part of our ongoing special educational needs improvement journey.”
The new Hawthorn Academy in Warfield is being funded by Bracknell Forest Council. It will include 7 classrooms and 4 flexible specialist classrooms for art, design technology, food technology and science. Additionally, there will be a dining room, hall and library. Outside there will be soft and hard play areas and a sensory garden.
The building work is being carried out by Neilcott Construction Ltd, with the building is due to be handed over to Propeller Trust in spring 2027. The Propeller Trust, which is also running the Hawthorn Academy at its temporary site, will then be able to move to the permanent location.
The work is all part of the council’s commitment, alongside local area partnership organisations, to improve services and education for children and young people with SEND.
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Warfield CE Primary School vacated the building in All Saints Rise in 2022. Pupils are now taught at the modern Woodhurst site. Currently, pupils at the Hawthorn Academy are being taught at a temporary site in the borough that was refurbished over the summer. It can accommodate up to 25 11 to 16 year old pupils with SEND.
