Bishop Young Secondary School appointed NPS Leeds to transform two underused areas into a dedicated Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) for pupils with autism.
Case study
Bishop Young Secondary School (SRP)
Client: Leeds City Council
Project Overview
A coordinated approach
NPS Leeds, part of Norse Group, delivered a fully integrated multidisciplinary consultancy service, providing architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, structural engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, quantity surveying and Clerk of Works services. Bringing these disciplines together under one team ensured a coordinated approach throughout the project, from concept design through to completion.
Alongside the creation of the new facility, the project also reconfigured existing spaces across the school, bringing key teaching areas together to improve circulation and reduce time between lessons.
Specialist design
Designed to provide a calm, safe and flexible environment, the Special Resource Provision enables pupils to learn and thrive in a space tailored to their individual needs. The facility includes a fully equipped life skills kitchen, a sensory room, a padded calm room, dedicated teaching spaces, staff facilities that enable passive supervision, and offices and meeting rooms to support both staff and families.
Outside, pupils benefit from a secure, dedicated play area featuring a vegetable garden, quiet shaded seating and sensory play equipment, creating opportunities to support physical health, wellbeing and outdoor learning.
The design also needed to strike the right balance between creating a calming, low-stimulation environment for autistic pupils and maintaining a consistent look and feel with the wider school. A carefully considered palette of neutral colours and finishes achieved both objectives.
Minimising disruption
Completed in January 2022, the project successfully navigated a number of evolving challenges, including maintaining safe access to external playing fields throughout construction.
Delivered alongside the Salix energy improvement scheme, the project required close collaboration between project teams and contractors to ensure both programmes progressed safely and efficiently without disrupting school operations. Construction works were carefully phased to maintain safe separation from day-to-day school activities, enabling pupils to continue accessing mainstream facilities, where appropriate to their individual needs.
The completed SRP has been exceptionally well received, with pupils, teachers and the wider school community praising the new environment and the positive difference it has made to learning and wellbeing.
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