Pupil referral Unit (PRU) Fordway

Client
Surrey County Council
Contractor
Value
£5.4m
Completion Date
23rd May 2025

The Challenge

Surrey County Council identified a need for a modern, purpose‑built Alternative Provision facility to support young people who require specialist behavioural, emotional, and pastoral support. The existing provision was in an aging building that was not suitable for contemporary teaching.

Key challenges included:

Delivering a safe and calm learning environment tailored for vulnerable learners.
A constrained site surrounded by school, college and an antenatal clinic, residential properties, demanding a sensitive construction approach.
Balancing high‑performance sustainability targets with budget constraints.

The Solution

Morgan Sindall delivered a high‑quality, two‑storey specialist education building using a modern timber panel system with an external skin of bricks to maximise speed and minimise disruption. The design centred around calm, therapeutic spaces with clear lines of sight, breakout areas, and integrated pastoral support rooms.

Key features included:

Creation of 4 classrooms, calm rooms, Therapy rooms, group rooms and a large food room/Kitchen.
Installation of acoustic treatment, and controlled‑access systems to enhance safety.
Offsite‑manufactured components to shorten programme duration and reduce vehicle movements.
Close collaboration with school leadership to shape the internal layout.
Implementation of a strict logistics plan and safeguarding protocols for staff, pupils, and visitors.
Early engagement with subcontractors to maintain cost certainty and programme resilience.

The Results

The project was delivered providing Surrey County Council with a robust, future‑proof Alternative Provision facility that supports the borough’s wider inclusion strategy.

Key project outcomes:

A high‑quality teaching environment designed specifically for students with additional behavioural and emotional needs.
Improved line‑of‑sight supervision enabling staff to provide safer, more responsive support.

Minimal disruption to the neighbouring school, with zero impact on term‑time operations.

Improved site safety and security, with controlled access, robust CCTV coverage, and safer pupil movement routes, reducing safeguarding risks.
Flexible teaching zones incorporated to allow the school to adapt provision as student needs evolve, supporting both small‑group intervention work and individual mentoring

79.3 weeks

Number of apprentices

73%

SME Spend

9/10

Client Satisfaction

Contractor Performance | Commitments

Legacy

31 No of SMEs, 4 jobs created, 29 trainee weeks, 6 students engaged

£650 donations to charity, £3,887,435.91 LM3 (Supply chain)

85% social value created

Aftercare

Soft landings for handover

Dedicated Morgan Sindall point of contact

On-line portal for notifying any defects with 3 priority categories for response times

Sustainability

100% waste diverted from landfill

100% timber responsibly sourced

Safe

Zero RIDDORs

CCS Score 42/45

Fair

100% payment within 30 days terms