We have worked on Forest Way now since 2007 and continue to be closely associated with it.  We return to advise on the landscape management and to learn how teachers and students have been employing the landscape for teaching and learning in a SEN setting.

Forest Way was the first of several SEN schools for Leicestershire County Council, completed by Willmott Dixon. It won The Times ‘Best New Build Primary School’ 2009, and features a number of innovations.

We worked closely with Lynn Slinger and her staff and students to make the most of a spectacular setting, at 200m above sea level in the National Forest. A large amount of native tree planting around the site reinforces this woodland setting creating a series of innovative spaces for outdoor learning and play.  This has become known as the ‘Outdoor Learning Environment’.

Art plays a vital role in the creation of interesting spaces both within the building and throughout the school grounds. We engaged several artists who worked with in a range of mediums (metal, stone, timber), to create themed artworks that add visual and tactile interest to the school environment.