Helping to deliver Ysgol Y Deri – a very special school
Shufflebottom is proud to announce that its structural steel will be at the heart of the £20 million state-of-the-art expansion of special needs school, Ysgol Y Deri in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Ysgol Y Deri might already be a familiar name to readers as it featured in the incredible BBC documentary ‘A Special School’ which focused on life in the UK’s largest SEN school, providing for pupils aged three to 19 years old with a range of learning and physical needs and autism. The programme highlighted the fact that the school – originally built to accommodate 205 pupils with complex physical, health and educational needs – was over-subscribed and unable to deliver what its students deserved.
Hence, the development of this new 6th form building on an additional and nearby site near Penarth, which will ease pressure on the overall school, and significantly benefit the school’s future learners. The provision of the additional site is part of Welsh Government’s and the Vale of Glamorgan’s ‘Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme’ to increase the number of special education places available in Wales.
Shufflebottom started work on the site in June 2024 after almost ten months of design development. We worked with C&C Steel Structures for the erection of the structural steel, a company developed from our own Christian Francis, who were working on their first project above 100 tonnes for us. We delivered 141.61 tonnes of hot-rolled steel, 2.43 tonnes of cold-rolled steel, and 18 thermal breaks.
Shufflebottom has been in the business long enough to know that no two projects are the same and every project has its unique challenges. We are pleased to say that in this case the Ysgol Y Deri site was a nice open field allowing easy access to the footprint to complete the erection. The project was also satisfying in that the unusual design of the front canopy brought an interesting connection design to allow for the client’s specifications while providing the aesthetic requirements of the Architect.
When complete, this 2-storey facility will have classrooms split over both floors, with ground floor classrooms providing direct access to outdoor learning spaces. The outdoor spaces will function as an extension to the school buildings, offering teaching and study spaces as well as areas for sport, play, socialising, relaxation and reflection. The school will have a green heart, benefiting from maximum daylight and ventilation, as well as green roofs to add to the biodiversity of the development.
Shufflebottom is justifiably proud to be helping to deliver what is a very special school where people can realise their full potential.