Willmott Dixon has achieved a significant milestone in the construction of Surrey County Council’s ‘Net Zero Carbon Special Free School’ at the new Walton-on-Thames site in the UK.
The building, named Hopescourt School, is Surrey’s first to be classified as net zero in operational carbon and is part of the county’s Inclusion and Additional Needs Partnership Strategy 2023-26.
Hopescourt School will serve up to 200 students with autism and those with communication and interaction needs, aged four to 19, by 2029.
The school’s curriculum will incorporate outdoor learning and music, aiming to provide essential skills for the students’ future.
Willmott Dixon was selected for this project through the Southern Construction Framework in November 2024.
The school is part of Surrey’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Capital Programme, addressing the demand for specialist educational places.
The first group of 77 pupils, currently at a temporary site, anticipates the school’s opening in early 2026.
During the topping-out ceremony, pupils and staff from the to-be Hopescourt School signed steel frames that will form part of their new school.
They were joined by representatives from Surrey County Council, Bourne Education Trust, a multi-academy trust made up of 23 schools and four associate schools, AtkinsRéalis, an engineering services company, and Willmott Dixon to commemorate the construction progress.
Willmott Dixon managing director Richard Poulter said: “We are proud to support Surrey County Council’s Inclusion and Additional Needs Partnership Strategy by providing 200 much-needed school places for children and young people aged four to 19 with special educational needs requirements.
“Delivering Surrey’s first Net Zero in Operation school is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and community impact, ensuring a lasting legacy that aligns with Hopescourt’s ethos for generations to come.”
In November last year, Willmott Dixon Interiors was assigned a refurbishing project for the Surrey Maths School, a specialist institution for talented mathematicians.
