Witton Park Educational Design Brief

8/8/2019 Witton Park Educational Design Brief

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Blackburn with Darwen & Bolton

Witton Park High School Business andEnterprise College

Educational Design Brief

Final Version: 5 October 2009

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Witton Park High School Business and Enterprise CollegeEducational Design Brief 05.10.09

Page Section2-3 Contents4 Introduction5 Section 1 - School specific background information and current

practice5 1.1 Key Learning Community Data6 1.2 Witton Park High School Background Information6 1.3 Witton Park High School Catchment6 1.4 Witton Park High School - Specialist Status7 1.5 Witton Park High School - Current Curriculum7 1.6 Student Care, Guidance and Support7 1.7 Monitoring and Supporting Progress and Achievement8 Section 2 School Strategy and Vision8 2.1 Witton Park High School Strategy for Change and the LA Strategy

for Change9 2.2 The Vision for Witton Park High School9 2.3 Working in Partnership with Newfield Special School9-10 2.4 The Location for the New School10 2.5 The Transformational Brief 11 Section 3 Design considerations and requirements, including co-

location/ specially resourced provision and key design features11 3.1 Planning Considerations11-12 3.2 Highways and Transport Considerations12-14 3.3 External Relationships14-15 3.4 Community Use15 3.5 Security Issues15-16 3.6 External Environment17 3.7 Sustainability17 3.8 Innovation and Creativity through Design17-18 3.9 How the New School will be Organised18 3.10 ICT Strategy19 3.11 The 3D text book19-20 3.12 Inspirational Learning Environment20 3.13 Access and Circulation20-21 3.14 Specialist Status21 3.15 SEN Requirements and Implications on Design21 3.16 Staff Satisfaction and the School Workforce21 3.17 Student Satisfaction22 3.18 Student Engagement, Involvement and Leadership22 3.19 Community Engagement, Involvement and Leadership22 3.20 Masterplanning

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23 Section 4 Accommodation requirements, including possiblesuiting of facilities and pastoral arrangements

23-24 4.1 Spatial Relationships24 4.2 Adjacencies and Linkages24 4.3 Heart Space24-25 4.4 Assembly or Group Meeting Spaces25 4.5 Exam Strategy25 4.6 Dining and Catering25 4.7 Social Learning Resource Centre25-26 4.8 Staff and Administration Areas26-27 4.9 Design Considerations for Community Use27-28 4.10 The Enhancement Area and Multi-Agency Provision28 4.11 ICT and Media28 4.12 Student Storage/ Charging Requirements28-29 4.13 Furniture and Equipment Requirements29 4.14 Year 7 and 8 Learning Zones30 4.15 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)31 4.16 Global and Communications31 4.17 BICT a mini-zone within Global and Communications32 4.18 Performance33-38 4.19 School and External Sports Facilities39 Section 5 Opening Hours40 Section 6 Details of Space Requirements to be met41 Appendices41-42 Appendix 1 Additional Information about Witton Country Park43-45 Appendix 2 A Day in the Life of Rosie Year 746-48 Appendix 3 A Day in the Life of Sam Year 1049-56 Appendix 4 Learning Zone Descriptions57 Appendix 5 Uses of the Auditorium58-59 Appendix 6 The Key Stage 4 Curriculum60-62 Appendix 7 - Myerscough College Academic Plan for Witton Park

Other Essential Documents:- LA Strategy for Change- School Strategy for Change (and ICT Output Specification)- School Accommodation Schedule- Sorrell Foundation Pupil Design Brief for Witton Park High School- BwD Design Brief - Educational Facilities Effectiveness Instrument (EFEI) Scores for

Existing Buildings- Option Analysis and Feasibility Approach (as completed for OBC

May 2008)- South-West Blackburn Neighbourhood Plan

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Introduction

Blackburn with Darwen is a compact, predominantly urban authority made up of two towns each witha strong local identity. The boroughs communities are diverse in terms of ethnicity, faith, inclusion,aspiration and economic well-being. Around a quarter of the population is of Indian and Pakistaniheritage and the proportion of the school population from these communities is nearly a third andincreasing. Large areas of the borough are highly deprived, with just over a third of the long termunemployed under 25, and the figures for the number of young people not engaged in education,employment or training are roughly double the national average.

Successful initiatives to close the achievement gap and improve attainment levels have beendeveloped and implemented. A change in the Councils status to unitary in 1998, saw excellentprogress made with levels of 5A*-C GSCE grades increasing by more than 15%. Blackburn withDarwen Council and its community of schools recognise there are still key areas of underperformance that need to be addressed and view Building Schools for the Future (BSF) as anexciting opportunity to support this.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council joined the Building Schools for the Future programme inJanuary 2007 and will be awarded approximately 150m to develop schools fit for the 21 st century.Building Schools for the Future investment will accelerate improvements designed to transformlearning and community facilities within the borough, to ensure better outcomes for all pupils, their families and the wider community.

The scheme will have a significant impact on nine learning centres, developed on eight sites, andconstruction is scheduled to take place between 2010 and 2015.

The purpose of this document is to provide architects and the design team for the new Witton Park

School with a guide to the schools aspirations and the needs of the wider school community.References to physical design are absent, in recognition that this is an area best left to theprofessionals.

Witton Park Business and Enterprise College will be a brand new PFI building set in the surroundingbeauty of Witton Country Park in the west of Blackburn. The BSF programme offers an incredibleopportunity to transform education at Witton Park High School and to provide facilities the wholecommunity will want to use and be proud of.

Witton Park High School will serve 1200 pupils (a slight increase on its existing roll) and another 30pupils from Newfield Special School will also attend the enhanced provision offered at the new

school. This development should provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to ensure that the entire siteand facilities at Witton Park High School will be accessible to all, including students and visitors whohave additional needs. Designing for the needs of all will be an important aspect of this development,for example, from ensuring that facilities (both inside and out) are DDA compliant to ensuring thatsmall details like signage is accessible to all.

The close proximity of Witton Country Park, the City Learning Centre and other local facilities shouldenhance the site as a community hub, and encourage a diverse range of visitors and communities touse the enhanced facilities. As such, new facilities at the school should enhance, not duplicate, other existing/ planned facilities, and should be part of a masterplanning exercise for the whole site.

Students, staff, parents, families, the local communities and other stakeholders should all be involvedin planning and designing the new facilities to ensure that the new Witton Park High School meetsthe needs and aspirations of all those it will serve.

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Section 1 School Specific Background Information and Current Practice

1.1 Key Learning Community Data

Name of LearningCommunity

Witton Park Businessand Enterprise College

Name of partner schooland partnershiparrangements

Newfield SpecialSchool speciallyresourced provision for

up to 30 Newfield pupilsto be provided at thenew Witton Park School

Head Teacher Gwen Onyon Head teacher of partner school

Geoff Fitzpatrick

School TransformationManager

Melanie Porter School TransformationManager at partner school

Geoff Fitzpatrick

Location of currentschool

(Adjacent to WittonCountry Park)

Buncer Lane,Blackburn, BB2 6TD.

Location of partner school

(Approx 2 miles fromWitton Park School)

Old Bank LaneBlackburnBB1 2PW

Curriculum Offered Witton Park currentlyoffer a broad andbalanced curriculumwith Business andEnterprise as aspecialism to pupilsaged 11 16 years.

Curriculum offered bypartner school

Newfield SpecialSchool currently offer abroad and balancedcurriculum for pupilswith Complex LearningDifficulties aged 2 19.

Projected Number onRoll at the new school 1200 pupils at WittonPark High School Projected Number onRoll at the new school Provision for up to 30additional places asspecially resourcedprovision for pupils fromNewfield SpecialSchool

Number of places for which the new schoolshould be designed

1230 placesi.e. 1200 Witton Park High School pupils (mainstream)and 30 Newfield Special School pupils (specially resourced places)

Additional funding + 450,000 for indoor athletics provision

Suggested GIFA 10,090 m2

Site of new school The existing Witton Park School site will be used as the site for the newschool

Site constraints for thenew school

The school is located within the green belt planning areaAccess to the City Learning Centre and Witton Country Park should bemaintained at all times.Existing educational facilities should not be adversely disrupted or impactedduring the construction phaseThe LEP should consider if the Old Witton Park School buildings need to beused for decant for other schools later in the programme

Timescales The new school should be operational for March 2012

1.2 Witton Park High School Background Information

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Witton Park High School is an inclusive school with strong values that puts the needs of its studentsfirst. The school aims to provide students with a positive experience and opportunities with clear progression routes to employment, training or Higher Education.

The schools OfSTED report (November 2006) described the school as a good school which hasmany substantial strengths and few weaknesses, and provides good value for money.

The school site is host to a City Learning Centre which serves the community and which the schoolhas access to. The school has gained the Healthy Schools Award, the Basic Skills Award, anInvestor in People Award and an Eco Bronze Award.

1.3 Witton Park High School CatchmentWitton Park High School is a high performing 11-16 school with currently 1050 students on roll. The

school has the advantage of being set in the surrounding beauty of Witton Country Park. Theschools catchment area includes locations that are economically and socially deprived. Almost fortypercent of the students live in areas classified as being in the bottom ten percent nationally. Theschool has four main feeder schools, namely Wensley Fold Primary School, Griffin Park PrimarySchool, Audley Junior School and Longshaw Junior School. The school would like to improve their already good links with Myerscough College who are based within Witton Country Park. Raisingattainment levels, particularly in Maths and English is a school priority. A commitment to ensuring allstudents achieve their potential has resulted in a rise in attainment at KS3 and KS4 with CVA(Contextual Value Added) for the last three years which is significantly above expectations.

1.4 Witton Park High School - Specialist StatusThe school acquired specialist status in Business and Enterprise in 2004. The schools vision for

Enterprise is for the school aims to be based on co-operative values which have been agreed uponby students, staff, parents and governors. These values should be evident within the school andspread out to the community both locally and internationally through links with other schools, bothprimary and secondary, further education, business, charities and other organisations. Witton ParkHigh School aims to enable students to develop their own enterprise skills by helping others.

In February 2009 the school was recognised by the DCSF as being a High Performing SpecialistSchool. The award was given following a good OfSTED and very good Key Stage 4 examinationresults. In June 2009, the school was successful in applying to have Science as a secondspecialism. This will provide students with fantastic opportunities embracing science, technology,engineering, and maths (STEM) in the curriculum. The new Science specialism will enable the

school to further establish strong partnerships with employers, training providers and local collegesand to develop a STEM curriculum that is innovative and provides well defined pathways of progression for all learners, leading to a wider range of post 16 science opportunities.

Witton Park High School is working collaboratively with other schools in Blackburn with Darwen(BwD) to enhance science provision in the area. As a school with a Science specialism, Witton ParkHigh School will be able to continue to develop and implement science courses that fit the needs of both students and the local economy. The school recognises the need to further develop links withemployers in the area to identify where employment opportunities exist and then ensure that thescience curriculum meets this established need. This will improve the relevance of the schoolscurriculum, enthuse learners and provide them with clear goals to aim for.

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1.5 Witton Park High School - Current CurriculumThe curriculum of Witton Park High School Business and Enterprise College is designed to provideall students with a broad and balanced education relevant to their needs, both now and in the future.It is challenging and enjoyable with all leavers making good progress. Academic standards are high,reflecting both the expectations and hard work of students, parents and staff. The school curriculumextends beyond the classroom, all Year 10 students spend two weeks on work experience and theBusiness and Enterprise focus weeks enable students to take part in a wide variety of demandingextension activities.

1.6 Student Care, Guidance and SupportThe school is committed to enabling every student to feel valued and to achieve their potential, to thatend very good care, guidance and support is provided throughout the school. At Witton Park HighSchool Business and Enterprise College the well being of each student is a primary focus and theschools vision is to enable all students to maximise their potential both academically and socially.Any incidents of bullying are dealt with seriously, promptly and sensitively. Witton Park High Schoolaims to generate an atmosphere of trust in which all students are confident that they are well known,safe, valued, respected and have their progress regularly checked, discussed and reported upon.The school anticipates that the move towards learning zones for years 7 and 8 and the zoneapproach for years 9, 10 and 11 will further strengthen and develop provision for student care,guidance and support.

1.7 Monitoring and Supporting Progress and AchievementWitton Park High School aims to ensure that every student achieves the very best they can. Everyindividual is expected to aim high and to achieve. Progress is monitored against the students targetsand intervention strategies are put in place for those who are falling below targets. Students andparents are kept regularly informed and students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are verywell supported. The school has an inclusive Gifted and Talented Policy through which the talent of

every child is nurtured. An extensive range of enrichment opportunities are on offer as well asexcellent teaching within lessons.

Witton Park High School serves its learners well and they continue to make good progress. Theschool aims to promote and celebrate the success of each and every learner through providing anappropriate, challenging and rewarding curriculum, by inspiring young learners to engage with their learning, to develop the skills and attributes of independent life-long learning together with theattributes/ characteristics for employability. Key to this is high expectations for behaviour, self-presentation and attitude, with a strongly supportive ethos based upon pastoral strengths and stronginterpersonal relationships. A collaborative partnership with Newfield Special School will ensure thathigh expectations and attainment remains a sharp focus for all those students with special needs.

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Section 2 School Strategy and Vision

2.1 Witton Park High School Strategy for Change and the LA Strategy for Change

LA theme How LA aspirations will be achieved through the SfC for Witton Park HighSchool

Choice, Diversityand Access

- Slight increase in pupils numbers (to 1200) as part of the wider borough strategyto ensure excellent local schools at the heart of each community.- Up to 30 specially resourced places for students from Newfield Special School toincrease parental choice, diversity of provision available to students and provideflagship inclusive facilities and opportunities for all the community.

Tackling under-performingschools

- 100% new build (PFI) to further support the school as it continues to improve.- The new build will further enhance pupil and community aspirations, providingfurther impetus for improvement.

Personalisinglearning and

enhancing e-learning

- The new build provides opportunity to re-organise learning (into 5 zones) anddeliver a transformed curriculum for the 21 st century. This will ensure that a wider

range of personalised learning opportunities can be provided to meet the needs of all pupils.- Additional ICT investment and training will further promote personalised learningand enhance e-learning. This will support the schools Business and Enterprisespecialism and the schools second specialism (Science).

14 19 - The new school will provide specific facilities to support the diploma lines whichthe school is leading on as part of a Borough-wide strategy (this includes theEnvironmental and Land-Based Services Diploma in partnership with MyerscoughCollege; and the Business, Administration and Finance Diploma).- The school will be designed so as to be welcoming to students from other schools when they study on site and, in addition, the school will be able to

accommodate colleagues from other agencies to provide Advice, Information andGuidance.

ECM andextendedservices

- Witton Park High School will provide hot-desking facilities for colleagues fromother agencies, and be designed to facilitate community use to ensure that allagencies can work together to meet the Every Child Matters agenda and ensurethe school can deliver a wide range of extended services.- The school will be open to encourage and support community use and shouldhave flagship facilities for those with additional needs/ disabilities.

Inclusion - The specially resourced provision on the Witton Park High School site for up to30 students from Newfield Special School will provide an inclusive environment for all.- The partnership between the schools will facilitate training and CPD for staff andprovide a broader range of opportunities for students from different schools, andwith different needs, to work, play and learn together.

ChangeManagement

- A small team of senior leaders from Witton Park High School and NewfieldSpecial School have developed a good working relationship through thedevelopment of this design brief. The philosophy and approach is shared betweenthe two schools, and change has already started.- Both schools have learnt lessons from the experience of the sample schools,and they are now very informed stakeholders. There has been extensive staff involvement (at Witton Park High School), and pupils have been involved in theSorrell Design Project (please see the pupil design brief created by pupils fromWitton Park High School). Detailed change plans will be written and implemented.

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2.2 The Vision for Witton Park High SchoolWitton Park High School Business and Enterprise College is committed to the Building Schools for the Future programme, and remains dedicated to providing an inclusive and supportive environment.As a Business and Enterprise College, Witton Park High School aims to raise attainment across thewhole curriculum through a culture of Enterprise and Business, and improvements in ICT provision.This phase of the specialism has seen an embedding of Enterprise in all aspects of school life andsustained high achievement in Business and ICT curriculum areas. Integral to its transformation theschool will embrace advancements in technology in order to enhance and personalise the learningexperience, whilst challenging and supporting achievement for all. The Business and EnterpriseSpecialism has contributed to the school provision, with after-school study support, ICT courses for parents and KS2 support sessions all on offer.

Success, along with the desire to work collaboratively with others is central to the ethos of the school.The school has extended its partnerships with the community and is the lead school for pathfinder inthe borough. Staff and students will continue to work together to promote an open, fair and equitablecommunity. The school is optimistic in its commitment to building a sustainable culture andcurriculum which takes into account the richness and diversity of all those with a vested interest in itssuccess.

2.3 Working in Partnership with Newfield SchoolThe transformation of educational opportunity afforded through BSF has enabled Witton Park HighSchool Business and Enterprise College with Newfield Special School to propose an exciting andinnovative partnership which addresses the difficult choice that parents make between mainstreamand special school education. Both Witton Park High School and Newfield Special School have ahistory of separately meeting the needs of children with complex needs on a full time basis and areconscious of the 'loss' that has been inevitable when that choice has been made. Through workingtogether, Witton Park High School and Newfield Special School will share expertise and resources to

ensure that students who attend will have access to 'the best of both worlds '. Witton Park HighSchool and Newfield Special School share the understanding that all young people, regardless of their needs, have the right to a high quality learning experience where genuine choice and diversityare available and where their presence and participation enriches the learning lives of all studentsand staff.

Through this partnership all young people who have additional needs will have a PersonalisedPartnership Plan (PPP) which will entitle them to the best opportunities that Witton Park High Schooland Newfield Special School can offer. Each PPP will flexibly select elements of the curriculum andextended offer to best meet each individuals needs. Newfield students will be dual registered at bothWitton Park High School and Newfield Special School to enable access to the best of both worlds.

2.4 The Location for the New SchoolThe school site on the edge of Witton Country Park is a beautiful green setting for learning. The Parkis the Boroughs largest and most multi-functional Park (see Appendix 1 list of Witton Park functions& developments). Witton Country Park will benefit from considerable investment over the next fewyears which will enhance existing facilities and provision right next door to Witton Park High School.Witton Park High School buildings and grounds will contribute to this valued green space and protectthe natural environment, offering enhanced learning opportunities through its relationship with thePark. This site offers an incredible opportunity to enhance the green civic space, showcasesustainability and provide an oasis of calm (particularly for those with additional needs). The visualamenity of the site is particularly important when considering any boundaries and community access,

as are the links to the other developments in the Park.

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The importance of this site has beenrecognized by the additional Councilcapital investment of 450k for indoor athletics facilities within the schooldevelopment. The Park will also receiveother capital funds including 100k for cycling development and 2.5 million tocreate an Adventure Playground throughthe Play Pathfinder Project. The externalfacilities provided for the School shouldenhance and complement, not duplicatethe new facilities and plannedimprovements within the Country Park.

2.5 The Transformational Brief The schools transformational brief can be summarised as Achievement for All . The new schoolbuilding will provide transformational learning spaces for 1200 students from Witton Park High Schooland up to 30 students from Newfield Special School. The partnership work between both schools willensure that together all students will be supported to achieve. Underpinning Achievement for all, are

the following main educational drivers:A. Curriculum Diversity- linking with vocational courses and Newfield Special SchoolA strong feature will be personalisation, to meet the needs of all students.B. Lifelong learning and the extended schoolPreparation for post 16 opportunities, enriching the formal curriculum and involving the community andoutside agencies.C. Personalised and InnovativeICT and new technologies will underpin learning through collaborative process and shared resources.D. InclusionPermeates and embraces the school vision- Achievement for All, focusing on ECM regardless of ability, gender, ethnicity, disability, and Special Educational Needs.E. Good CitizenshipResponsible and knowledgeable global citizens, providing support for learning in the local and wider community.

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Section 3 Design considerations and requirements, including co-location / speciallyresourced provision and key design features

3.1 Planning ConsiderationsThe principal of a replacement school within the grounds of Witton Park High School has beenestablished through outline application reference 10/08/0347 (19 th June 2008), all other issues are tobe applied for at reserved matters stage. The LEP should note that although outline planning consenthas been obtained by the Authority, it is the developers responsibility to obtain full planning approval.The full planning application will be considered by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and willbe subject to the usual due process.

The site is designated as Green Belt in the adopted Blackburn with Darwen Borough Local Plan(2002). Siting and design of the replacement school/ ancillary buildings and landscaping of the siteare of utmost importance to ensure any visual injury to the countryside is minimised. There are also asignificant amount of trees on site, these will help assimilate the proposal into the Green Belt andgeneral surroundings and should be retained where possible.

Development will only be acceptable where the proposal is appropriate in terms of its siting, scale,materials, design and landscaping and does not detract from the landscape character of the area.Proposals should have no greater impact on the purposes of including land in the green belt than theexisting development; should not exceed the height of the existing buildings and should not lead to amajor increase in the developed portion of the site. This must be demonstrated by the applicant in theplanning submission.

3.2 Highways and Transport ConsiderationsThe location of the development is close to an Air Quality Management Area. The junction of PrestonOld Road/ Buncer Lane exceeds recommended Nox levels. As the council has a duty under the

Environmental Protection Act 1995 to implement measures in pursuit of acceptable air quality, theLEP will need to ensure that greater emphasis is placed on the design in terms of reducing theimpact of traffic. The Witton Park site is well served by public transport and good quality national localcycle routes. Witton Park School should lead developments in promoting cycling access given itsproximity to excellent cycling infrastructure and, where possible, the development should further improve facilities for the community.

Aspects of vehicle and pedestrian movement into and around the site need to be fully considered.Formation of a singular access off Buncer Lane is preferable. The 2 accesses that presently existexert pressure on a heavily utilised route. A better managed proposal for dropping off and picking upneeds to be developed. This is also applicable to cycle and pedestrian routes from both Preston Old

Road and Buncer Lane to the school site. Connection to the National Sustrans is also to be fullyconsidered. Understandably there will be off-site highway works necessary to support theamendment to the new access arrangement. The nature of works will be highlighted through a FullTransport Assessment which will be required to support the submission of a full planning application.

Parking standards are anticipated to be 2 spaces per classroom/teaching area although this will needto be discussed with the Planning and Highways Authority. The car park for the school should beseparate to the existing Witton Country Park parking facilities so that visitors to the park do notstruggle for space. The school car park should be located away from the main school entrance tocreate a safer school environment. All requirements for provision of disabled, cycles and PTWspaces as set out in the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan are to be adhered to. There must besufficient parking and alighting areas built into the design to facilitate the inclusive partnershipbetween Witton and Newfield School and ensure that there is appropriate drop-off facilities for pupilswith additional needs.

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Cycle Storage will be in agreement with the Planning and Highways Authority and will encouragestudents to cycle to school, therefore storage will need to be safe and secure. Witton Country Parkhas a number of cycles for use by the community, this may require some secure overnight cyclestorage facilities. The LEP should work in partnership with Witton Country Park to ensure appropriatefacilities for cycle storage across both the school and country park sites are available.

Servicing need to be examined and details will need to be developed. Bus services to the site willneed to be considered to ensure these are managed appropriately.

Sustainable accessibility should be a top priority. Plans should clearly highlight how designs havebeen influenced by the transport assessment and requirements of the travel plan. The site should beeasily accessible by all modes of transport so that visitors accessing community functions have thesame standard of cycle parking and pedestrian access as students.

3.3 External RelationshipsWitton Park High School is located on Buncer Lane, adjacent to Witton Country Park.

Buncer Lane Access

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The facilities will need to be managed to enable community and school access whilst ensuringthe safety of young people. Logistical services will be achieved through careful location of access to key points for deliveries and collections, separate to pedestrian access.

A separate entrance for vehicles will be required along with two separate pedestrian entrancesapproaching the school from the top and bottom of Buncer Lane. About half of students arriveat school by foot, approaching from the south and east of the school site. High proportions(40%) of students also arrive by car or bus.

Vehicle parking which is extensive and secure will be required, together with drop off andcollection points and links to public transport. The LEP should be familiar with the school travelplan.

Appropriate access points for students with disabilities will be required including vehicular access/parking at all times during the day to allow for stopping and alighting when attendinglessons. This is essential for Newfield students who will have flexible attendancearrangements and dual registration at both Witton Park High School and Newfield SpecialSchool.

Witton Park Access In addition to the above access from Buncer Lane, the main car park from the Country Park off

Preston Old Road could be considered as a desirable route by staff, pupils and community.This could also provide valuable car parking space, although this should not prevent visitors tothe Country Park from having access to sufficient and appropriate parking facilities.

Walking and cycling routes through this car park and/or the existing Sustrans route should belinked to the school access points.

Cycle Route There will need to be clear linkages with existing cycle routes within the country park (and to

adjoining communities). The cycle routes within the Country Park will be upgraded through

100k of investment through the boroughs Cycle Strategy. The new facilities at Witton Park High School should encourage students to cycle to schoolusing existing safe cycle routes.

There will need to be safe and secure daytime cycle storage. There will need to be some more permanent cycle storage as there is currently a lack of cycle

storage at the Cycle Centre within Witton Country Park. There is an aspiration for some of theparks cycle centre bikes to be permanently stored on the school site for shared use.

There will need to be connections to the National Cycle Route through the Park (see BwDsCycling strategy on web pages).

External School Sporting Facilities Easy access for the community to external sports facilities, with an out of hours entrance andclearly defined reception area with controlled flow to / from facilities will be required. There will need to be connectivity with existing sports facilities within the adjacent country

park, particularly with the athletics club and running track. There will need to be boot washing, changing, toilet and shower facilities which are easily

accessible, with external exit/entrances available The MUGAs should be close to school for easy access for students (particularly during break

times) and community users. Sports pitches should be situated for easy access of use and an All Weather Pitch (AWP) is

required. Use of external pitches could be made by neighbouring schools, so additional storage may be

requiredMyerscough College

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Connectivity to the Myerscough College provision which is currently based in the adjacentcountry park is required, as there is likely to be provision of the Environmental and LandBased Services diploma for students at Witton Park High School.

An allotment conveniently placed to link the facilities within the school park should beprovided.

Vocational space should be available within the school with easy access for studentsparticipating in the Environmental and Land Based Services diploma

There should be wireless ICT across the site; specifically close to the environmental externallearning areas.

Access for all students to all parts of the external environment will be required as studentsfrom Newfield Special School may also be attending the site for Foundation Learning Tier activities.

Myerscough College would be interested in the use of teaching rooms within the school for which rental would be paid (see Appendix 7 - Myerscough College Academic Plan for WittonPark for further information)

There is potential for Myerscough College and the school to share services such as catering,IT provision and a library.

CLC Community Use There will need to be connectivity between the existing City Learning Centre for students at

Witton Park High School and also for community use which may be linked directly to theschool

Social Learning Resource Centre (SLRC) The school will need an SLRC which is positioned in order to maximise potential use by

students before, during and after school The school should provide a welcoming and easy access for community use, including the

opportunity for youth clubs to utilise this space

3.4 Community UseThrough a well designed school building and the aspiration for enhanced facilities on the school site,Witton Park High School will contribute to neighbourhood resources that are available to the local andwider community whilst maintaining the security of learners in its care. There will need to beappropriate access to school facilities by the community. This will need to be flexible and adaptabledepending upon the needs and aspirations of the communities served by the school. Accessibleschool resources will include the SLRC (there is a long term aspiration for community use of thelibrary, subject to the pilot at Pleckgate High School); managed recreation and sporting facilities;meeting areas; external learning areas and access to health provision (noting that school facilities

should not duplicate other facilities which are within the locality of the school). NHS Blackburn withDarwen is currently developing it's strategy for Transforming Community Services, the strategy willinclude NHS BwD's strategic intention and ambition for the delivery of community based healthservices in line with the needs of the local population. As part of the process, current and futureestate needs are being reviewed and will form part of the strategy. The school would also like to offer a base to neighbourhood community police and has medium term aspirations to link with a pre-schoolfacility for its own staff and local parents, therefore, a flexible space which could be used as a mobile-crche facility would be an advantage. Community access to the performance theatre space /auditorium will also be required.

Community facilities will contribute to learning by providing relevant vocational experiences. for example learners studying leisure within the managed leisure provision; those studying business andadministration within the administrative area; those studying health and social care within the

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community and extended schools provision; those studying hospitality and catering within thecatering provision; those studying environmental land-based services with grounds maintenance etc.

Witton Park High School will provide extended community access outside school hours and for morethan the extended school times. This will allow casual access and opportunities for skillsdevelopment, in addition to pre-booked groups, clubs and events. The community will need access toa range of different facilities depending on the activities that are available. For example, youth clubsmay need to meet in the SLRC on some nights and on other occasions they may wish to use thesports facilities. The school will need to be designed in such a way as to maximise community useand to ensure that this use is as flexible as possible. This facility will encourage and deliver increasedparticipation in leisure, cultural and other community positive activities. The LEP needs to consider how this community access can be delivered.

Informal access to the grounds for play and positive activities outside school hours is also required.The grounds are already used by the community for football and form part of a larger cross countrycourse through the Park. The school has also previously been part of large events held in the Park(eg Youth Games).

A close Partnership Plan will be established to facilitate the Newfield Special School community linkin order to conceptualise the learning and teaching processes and partnership between Witton ParkHigh School and Newfield Special School, and the local community.

3.5 Security IssuesThe school is located in a very open site, which currently has an unattractive perimeter fence. A highlevel of security is required for the new school buildings with facilities to ensure the safety andsecurity of students at all times. This should be a combination of covert and overt systems. The styleand type of security will not detract from the aesthetics and aspirations of the new school, and must

be considered as integral to the design from the start. Proposals that provide a high level of securitywithout the intrusive use of the existing security fencing would be the preferred solution. The LEPshould consider the implications of the existing Public Rights of Way, permissive routes and cycleroutes on the site. CCTV coverage is to be agreed during the design development. The LEP isrequired to liaise with the Local Authorities Police Architectural Liaison Officer in order to ensure thedesign affords good level of security.

There is a need to ensure hard and soft security solutions within the internal spaces of the school.This will consist of a manned control point on reception and will only allow members of the public toaccess restricted areas such as the SLRC, multi-agency support areas, sports areas and the heartspace.

3.6 External EnvironmentThe school is located in the surrounding beauty of Witton Country Park and offers an incrediblelocation for the new school (see Appendix 1 for further information about the facilities available atWitton Country Park). The LA and both schools seek a design which will maximise the aestheticnature of the site and allow the vistas of open country to inspire students. The external environmentshould be fully developed to maximise the potential of the whole school site for outdoor learning.Skilful design, siting and orientation should maximise the natural site and provide vistas to enhancethe learning experience.

There must be separate pedestrian and vehicle access. The approach should be welcoming and

draw people on to the site. Through clever design of the main site area, people should be attractedand drawn in to the external environment and the extended grounds.

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Through skilful, innovative and imaginative design outdoor learning areas should be attractive,inspiring and functional - supporting Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC), the QCA Bigger Pictureand the new secondary National Curriculum. The design should reflect the site, the micro-climate andthe school specialisms, with the design of the external spaces creating a safe, welcomingenvironment full of learning opportunities. The external environment and extensive school groundsshould be fully developed as a resource for all curriculum areas. It must also include a variety of recreational areas for active play, adventurous play and controlled risk taking, socialising and quietreflection. All such areas should be safe and welcoming and include elements of shelter from windand rain appropriate to their function. Environmental issues should also be highlighted.

Teachers, staff and learners should be drawn effortlessly from the indoors to the welcoming outdoor learning spaces and from there they should be attracted to the outdoor learning features in theextended grounds beyond, enabling students and staff the opportunity to choose their learningenvironment. There should be direct/easy access from each internal zone to their correspondingexternal learning zone. Specific resources for each learning area should be included in each outdoor learning zone to promote learning, investigation, creativity and inspiration. School staff and studentsshould work in partnership with designers to develop specific features to be included in each outdoor learning zone.

Skilful design should ensure that shelter is provided for all the outdoor learning zones so that they stillremain attractive and usable in most weathers. There should be a variety of semi-sheltered seatingincorporated in to each outdoor learning zone including individual/ reflective seating, small group/breakout seating and whole class (e.g. sunken/ campfire/ circle time) type seating. An outdoor performance area/ meeting space for a large group of students is also required.

There should be opportunity for students with special needs to access all play, outdoor performanceareas and learning/leisure areas with, for example, tables and seating at appropriate heights for

wheelchairs. Surfaces will have to be user friendly for wheelchairs to reduce vibration and user discomfort.

Designs should make full use of the whole school site and adjacent Witton Country Park for outdoor learning. This should include a series of satellite features utilising and linking to all areas of the site.Facilities within the school grounds should complement existing and planned facilities within WittonCountry Park, not duplicate. (See Appendix 1 for further information about the facilities available atWitton Country Park. Facilities within the school site should include (but this list is not exhaustive!):

Linked access to existing and planned cycle trails around and through Witton Country ParkLinked access to the existing and planned cross country running opportunities around andthrough Witton Country Park

Satellite outdoor learning areas/ pods sited for interest, inspiration and quiet reflection (e.g. intrees). This could include story corner, a public speaking or performance area, whole classand small group seating for environmental art or creative writing.A problem solving zoneA climbing boulder or traversing wallAccess to utilise the adventurous activities area within Witton Country Park.Adding value to and utilising the existing orienteering courses of the neighbouring countrypark, providing various levels of difficulty.Access to Witton Country Parks Lily Pond location adjacent to the Visitors Centre.Weather stationWillow seating and sculptures/ environmental art featuresWildlife viewing hides

Designers should work in partnership with school staff and most importantly, students, to develop theabove resources and facilities.

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3.7SustainabilityThe LEP will incorporate the sustainable ethos into the design from its very inception, using the EightDoorways in order to achieve the LEPs Collective Partnering Targets regarding sustainability. Theschool requires the LEP to explore the location, orientation and shape of the building to ensuremaximum efficiency of the building.

The use of ICT is seen as a major element in the management and promotion of the sustainabilityaspects of Witton Park High School. The monitoring (and display) of energy and water consumption,and generation, is key to the management of the building, and its use as a 3D Text book.

The new school buildings will model sustainable and renewable technologies in order to provideexemplar sources for learning. It will have a clearly identifiable and minimised carbon footprint andincorporate and integrate recycling as well as energy/resource saving. The School will expectintroduction of environmentally sustainable products and design features such as energy efficientlighting, zonal heating and passive ventilation, which strongly promotes the use of renewabletechnologies such as ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers, wind turbines, solar photovoltaicand solar thermal water. The LEP will also be expected to explore the use of other sustainableinitiatives such as grey water for WC flushing, rainwater harvesting, sustainable drainage systemsand high environmental performance windows.

The School and the Authority expects to achieve BREEAM ratings of excellent for all new buildprojects and will strive for carbon neutrality across the programme. The LEP partner will be requiredto actively seek additional investment in this area, and explore the potential of trialling emergingtechnologies both for environmental and educational purposes. The Authority would also envisagethat any operational savings developing from the use of emerging technology to be re-invested infuture technologies.

3.8 Innovation and Creativity through DesignThe new school will be an innovative and transformational building which supports and enables allpupils to achieve. Through flexibility in the design of internal spaces, walls, partitions and utilities, theschool will enable innovative practice to evolve to maintain learning into the future, incorporating newtechnologies, methods and pedagogy. By providing flexibility in internal load bearing, re-modelling willbe possible as the school moves towards transformed learning and the demands of learning in the21st Century. Learning spaces will allow for a variety of learning group combinations, from largemaster classes (e.g. for half a year group 125 students), project activities for larger groups (e.g. 50

60 students) to intimate group discussions (for 2 15 students). Accessibility in all aspects of learning and teaching will ensure that the needs of students with special educational needs arecontinually met.

3.9 How the New School will be OrganisedThe school wishes to explore design options which fully support the transformation of learning.Current plans include a zonal pedagogy supporting the development of each students personalisedlearning programme. This extends to meeting the needs of all learners including those with specialeducational needs as part of the partnership between Witton Park High School and Newfield SpecialSchool. In order to achieve this, the design will incorporate spaces that are agile, flexible andadaptable:

Agile spaces will be capable of being tailored to the activity being undertaken at that particular time, on a lesson by lesson basis.Flexible spaces will allow a theme or special event to be set up, support alternative variationsof space or organisation of teaching (to be trialled on a weekly or termly basis).Adaptable spaces will allow the more permanent changes associated with the ongoing life of the school, without impact on the teaching or day to day running of the school.

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The school views an initial pedagogy having its main learning areas organised into 5 main learningareas (zones) to provide:

Year 7 Learning Zone Year 8 Learning Zone STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Global and Communications Zone English, History, Geography, RE, MFL, BICT Performance Zone Physical Education, Drama, Music and Art

Supporting these learning zones will be- Enhancement and Multi Agency support

In addition, key adjacencies are envisaged between the following areas Technology and art Science and PE School administration and Simulated Office Environment Enhancement and Multi Agency support and SLRC Heart space, dining and SLRC Year 7 and 8 zones and the main entrance

However, this initial organisational arrangement may not continue for the next 20 years. The buildingdesign should enable the organisational pedagogy of the school to flex and change over time,perhaps facilitating schools within a school (e.g. for groups of 125 students) and / or enabling theYear 7 zone to become, for example, a curriculum zone, and curriculum zones to become home-bases in addition to allowing for a return to more traditional teaching methodologies if required.

3.10 ICT StrategyICT will create a learning environment which promotes and inspires students and underpins learning.It will be an integral part of learning, allowing engagement with learning anywhere anytime. It willunderpin learning both in school and through extended opportunities for e-learning away from schooland will reflect the schools Business and Enterprise and Science specialisms.

Anywhere, anytime access will be available to all students through a variety of devices. Students andstaff will have easy access to resources and target setting and assessments will be facilitated throughthe Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The VLE will provide an exciting learning opportunity for all,allowing students to have full access to their work and resources at home, giving them the ability to

absorb new technologies with confidence. ICT will enhance deeper learning. Through a greater useof ICT learning and teaching resources, students will be empowered to take greater control of their learning.

A seamless system is envisaged that integrates all areas of the school curriculum and administrationsystems. ICT technology will support parental engagement, information sharing and the developmentof extra curricular learning opportunities.

ICT is a consistent aspect of accessibility that will facilitate greater learning opportunities for studentswith special needs and provide continuity and consistency for students who are dually placed fromNewfield Special School. There will only be small number of dedicated ICT spaces as ICT will be

embedded throughout the learning zones and across the whole school.

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3.11 The 3D Text BookThe new school building will need to be a 3D text book, enabling students, staff and visitors tounderstand how the building works and to support teaching and learning in numerous and excitingways. The LEP will need to bring innovation into the building to support this aspiration. It will beimportant for all learning areas to have sufficient space to display learning resources and to celebratelearning and achievements.

The LEP must consider using aspects of the external and internal design to contribute to Blackburnwith Darwen Borough Councils Percent for Public Art Policy. Public Art can be extremely flexible andthere are many ways of utilising it; whether it is integral to the design of the building, stand aloneartworks, artist residencies or creative community engagement. Public Art can be permanent or temporary. The LEP should consider appointing an artist as early as possible in the scheme to makesure the art is meaningful and integral and not an afterthought to the development. The Public Artengagement programme should ensure that as many students and community members as possibleare involved in creating and celebrating public art.

3.12 Inspirational Learning EnvironmentLearning areas will offer flexibility in terms of learning spaces, storage and types of learning. Therewill be high internal visibility, effective use of natural light and passive ventilation. There will beaccess to smaller spaces for individual or small group activities, such as mentoring or projectplanning. Spaces will be resourced appropriately for learning within and across subjects. Colour willreflect ownership (e.g. in the Y7/Y8 learning zone)

Clearly identifiable specialist areas (e.g. Science, Technology, and PE) will provide learning over extended periods with a variety of learning spaces and learning resources. It is not necessary or

desirable, for example, for all science teaching to be carried out in a laboratory-type space, a varietyof spaces will be needed to support practical science activities as well as research and studyactivities. There will be a general vocational learning area/centre with specialised resource areas anda Simulated Office Environment to support the teaching of the Business, Administration and Financediploma.

Communal areas will be light, clean and adaptable to enable the effective use of larger spaces for dining, assemblies, performance and examinations. The technology used to manage these areas willbe visible to learners. These spaces will encourage independent personalised learning and providepersonal space for learners to store their learning materials, possessions and outdoor clothing. Theschool has concerns about the quality of natural light reaching all learning areas and about acoustics

neither should impact negatively upon learning.

Toilet facilities will be modern, refreshing and safe. Facilities will be dispersed across the school andoffer privacy whilst being passively supervised. Specialist care and medical facilities for students withadditional needs/ disabilities will ensure their needs are fully met whilst affording dignity and privacy.

Extensive display areas, combining traditional wall displays with cutting edge ICT, will celebrateachievement, model excellence through exemplar work and stimulate and guide learning. There willneed to be extensive and flexible opportunities to display students work e.g. through stick updisplays, static boards, LCD screens and wall projections.

Specific display cases need to be provided for heritage and historical artefacts on loan from themuseum. At least one specialist case (90x120x180cm) to a minimum insurance rating of 2,000

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needs to be provided. Options for greater security up to 25,000 insurance, would allow the learnersto have a much wider choice in artefacts. Internal planting and vegetation will help to create a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere.

Movement areas will be clear and wide with good sight lines. Corridor space should be kept to aminimum. Signage needs to be symbolic, contemporary and aesthetically pleasing. Students andvisitors need to know where they are and be able to easily identify where to go. Signage should beaccessible to all including those with visual impairment e.g. utilising symbols for those who cant reador have lower cognitive levels.

There will be swift and direct access to learning areas and communal spaces. External routes will beprotected by coverings to create inside outside space with fresh air but weather protection.Students with special needs will have access throughout the premises and grounds. The restaurantwill be sited to allow flexibility in breaks, lunches and before and after school refreshment facilities.

Students should be involved in the design of their learning environments wherever possible.

3.13 Access and CirculationThe School and Authority require that the whole building is used as a learning environment, Carefulconsideration will be required in minimising the circulation space to maximise the teaching space.The school does not wish to see designs based solely on a traditional cellular classroom / corridor arrangement. The school is willing to explore the feasibility of external circulation areas, within thecontext of the sites exposed nature, and the use of space as both teaching and circulation.

The successful design will afford 100% access to all students, staff and visitors. Careful considerationwill be given to the design of the community access and circulation of visitors during the school day,to assist in the safe management of students. Students should feel able to access the services of

other agencies (e.g. the school nurse) without feeling that everybody knows their business, accessto services such as these should be stigma free and confidential spaces should also be available.

3.14 Specialist StatusWitton Park High School was designated as a Business and Enterprise College in September 2004.The status brought with it two new innovative teaching rooms with networked computers and thesefacilities and high quality teaching have contributed to considerable success in this area. In additionto these ICT suites, a high proportion of school students have school laptops on loan, which can beused at home giving internet access to students who dont have that facility.

In September 2010 Witton Park High School will develop the vocational curriculum by offering a

diploma in Business, Administration and Finance for Witton Park High School students and studentsfrom the other nine local high schools. To support the delivery of this diploma, the new building willneed to have a simulated office learning environment in the Business and Enterprise Zone in thenew school. This area should be welcoming to visitors and to students from other schools.

As the school has been successful in its application for a second specialism, Science, the newschools will have a STEM Learning Zone. Three separate sciences will be taught to the more ablestudents and astronomy will be offered as an AS Level. The school is keen to develop their work onsustainability so the inclusion of sustainable technologies which can be used for learning (for example a wind turbine) will be required.

The school wishes designers to take influence from the schools Business and Enterprise andScience specialisms. The accommodation for the specialist areas will be designed to give them aunique quality or prominent location, or indeed the design of the whole school may in some way

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reflect the theme of the specialisms. Proposals to achieve the latter would require carefulconsideration in order to avoid them seeming superficial, token or crude.As the school has access to Witton Country Park, the school will continue to develop links withMyerscough College (see Appendix 7 for further information about Myerscough College) and to be akey delivery partner in providing opportunities for students (from Witton Park and other schoolsacross the borough) to study the Environmental and Land Based Services diploma. To support thedelivery of this diploma and other possible vocational studies, there will need to be a large, flexible,but utility-rich vocational space to deliver vocational courses.

3.15 SEN Requirements and Implications on DesignThe transformation of educational opportunity afforded through BSF has enabled Witton Park HighSchool Business and Enterprise College with Newfield Special School to propose an exciting andinnovative partnership which addresses the difficult choice that parents make between mainstreamand special school education. Through this partnership all young people who are dual registered andhave additional needs will have a Personalised Partnership Plan (PPP) which entitles them to thebest opportunities that Witton Park High School and Newfield Special School can offer. Each PPPwill flexibly select elements of the curriculum and extended offer. Both Witton Park High School and Newfield Special School have a history of separately meeting theneeds of children with additional needs on a full time basis and are conscious of the 'loss' that hasbeen inevitable when that choice has been made. Together the schools will share expertise andresources to ensure that students with additional needs will have access to 'the best of both worlds '.All young people, regardless of their needs, have the right to a high quality learning experience wheregenuine choice and diversity are available and where their presence and participation enriches thelearning lives of all students and staff.

3.16 Staff Satisfaction and the School Workforce

Communal staff areas will provide a social and shared learning resource for all staff within each of the zones. Whilst the predominant internal communication will be via electronic systems, face to faceinteraction is important and will be encouraged through relaxation and refreshment areas as well aswork areas for individuals and for groups of staff engaged in joint planning or learning activities.Some learning spaces will provide opportunities to share pedagogy and practice through recordingand observation facilities.

Within zones, staff work areas and private spaces will be available to all staff. All work areas will haveaccess to the ICT infrastructure and learning resources through appropriate devices. Staff areas willfocus upon learning together and provide personal space to individuals as well as on-hand storage,refreshment and shower/toilet facilities. A comfortable centralised social staff room is required to

maintain the collective ethos of the work force. A variety of new and developed support staff roles willenable teachers and facilitators to concentrate upon supporting and guiding learning. These willinclude data administrators; in-class technicians; Internet and Intranet resource managers; mediaassistants; and health and welfare professionals, as well as vocational providers. All staff will need tofeel welcome in the new school, and will need access to facilities to support their work and well-being. Staff will also need workforce development in relation to meeting the needs of a more diversepopulation of students with special needs.

3.17 Student SatisfactionAs enjoyment is a central pillar for this vision, the school will incorporate facilities and resources thatenable all learners to make the most of their learning opportunities and to enjoy their learning. Open

access to a secure and safe ICT environment; sufficiency of sheltered recreational areas and safepleasant toilets; access to support and guidance mentors and tutors; extended hours for learning andoff-site learning; and high quality sports facilities will enable learners to engage with the school and to

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succeed personally. Learners will be proud to attend Witton Park High School and the school will beproud of its learners.

3.18 Student Engagement, Involvement and LeadershipStudent engagement should form an integral and important part of the design process. Referenceshould be made to the Student Brief which was produced through work done with the SorrellFoundation, along with other engagement activities carried out in school.

A series of design meetings with students should take place around the following areas Learning Spaces Toilets Social areas (including external spaces) Dining

This will include consultation with Newfield students related to expectations of participation andinclusion.

3.19 Community Engagement, Involvement and LeadershipCommunity engagement should form an integral and important part of the design process and involvea wide range of stakeholders from the local community. A series of design meetings with parents,families and members of the local community should take place around the following areas (andother areas as required):

Shared internal spaces (e.g. heart space, dining, SLRC) Shared external spaces

3.20 MasterplanningThe LEP should consider the masterplanning implications of this site and work in partnership with a

wide range of stakeholders to ensure that maximum benefit is gained from the developments at thislocation.

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Section 4 Accommodation requirements, including possible suiting of facilities and pastoralarrangements

4.1 Spatial Relationships

The design and layout of the 5 learning zones will support the offer of a range of pedagogies to beavailable to individual learners. The spaces will be flexible and adaptable to suit large and smallgroup working and individual learning. Learners may be involved in one-to-one tuition or self-directinggroups in addition to experiencing more traditional group teaching. Projects being carried out bylearners may include kinaesthetic activities with large space demands and access to energy, water and materials supplies. These changes in space and pedagogy will require a comprehensive changeprogramme to support staff development, and appropriate staffing structures to support the neworganisation of learning. For further information about each learning zone, see Appendix 4 - LearningZone Descriptions (see Appendix 6 for additional information about the intended KS4 curriculum).

Support spaces and equipment will be integrated into each Zone to enable the maximum number of adults to work as a team to encourage and support learners and also to provide passive supervisionthroughout each Zone.

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Each Zone should provide an integrated solution addressing acoustic, lighting, heating and ventilationdemands and be capable of offering a range of ICT and learning scenarios.

Students, staff and visitors will access the school through a single, welcoming entrance area whichgives immediate access to the heart space. This space will form the hub of the school, welcoming alland providing a clear and immediate sense of the schools purpose and ethos. From the heart space,students and staff will have easy access to the other zones of the school.

Each of the zones will have the following features Large spaces for up to 125 students (half a year group) to meet Variety of flexible learning spaces including access to ICT Cave spaces, watering hole spaces and campfire spaces Staff work space Space for senior leader and zone leader Student storage facilities Toilets for students and staff

4.2 Adjacencies and LinkagesEach of the zones within the school will ultimately develop their own identity, but each will support theoverall ethos of both Witton Park High School and Newfield Special School. Careful consideration of the adjacencies is paramount to the successful design of the new school building. The use of circulation space and community areas to successfully link and extend the useable learning andteaching space is required.

The school suggests that the following key adjacencies should be considered in the design, but alsowelcomes dialogue around other potential options. Key adjacencies are envisaged between thefollowing areas;

Mathematics, Science and TechnologyTechnology and ArtScience and PEMusic, Drama and PEYear 7 and 8 learning zones and specialist learning spaces

4.3Heart SpaceThe heart space will be the focal point of the school for all students, staff and visitors. Students willbe able to socialise, present, perform, celebrate their learning, eat, and access the SLRC, in anattractive and welcoming space.

4.4 Assembly or Group Meeting SpacesThe school places great emphasis on the celebration of students achievements. The assemblyspace at the heart of the school will need to be flexible and large enough to facilitate celebrations of learning and achievement, enable students to perform and present and provide a large spacesuitable for lecture-style learning and themed project days (see Appendix 5 - Uses of the Auditorium).Rather than a traditional Hall, the school aspires to a 250 place (cabaret style) Auditorium. Thisspace should be flexible enough to transform from the traditional hall, into a teaching space, into agallery and into a theatre within a day. The space should be able to seat a whole year group at once(250 students), to assemble or work on a collaborative activity. It should be adjacent to the heartspace so could open up to provide a 500 place gathering space for larger performances and to

celebrate learning and achievement. The challenge to the design team is to economise on thecirculation and ancillary space to provide this focal point for the school. There should be anadjacency between the main auditorium and the drama space at the heart of the school to facilitatethe best and most flexible use of these large spaces. This space should have a large projection

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facility and PA system. Coming together in celebration of the schools successes, watching aperformance or viewing students work are key elements of the schools ethos, and are seen as vital inexpending the community involvement in the school.In addition to the central auditorium in the heart space, each of the teaching zones will feature a widevariety of spaces for individual through to large groups, and each zone must have a flexible spacewhich can accommodate half a year group (125 students) at once.

4.5Exam StrategyAll students will study courses which lead to accreditation whether it is through modular assessmentsor formal examinations. We will need sufficient space to seat up to 250 students at once inexamination conditions, preferably in two separate areas. The main school sports hall should not beused for this purpose. We would prefer to utilise areas within zones rather than the main schoolAuditorium for the purpose of exams.

As more exams may need to be completed on-line, there should be appropriate provision around thecampus to enable students to take exams on-line, in small groups.

4.6Dining and CateringThe schools vision places emphasis on its role in promoting social skills and a sense of communityidentity. As a result, the design of the communal and social spaces and the restaurant in particular, isof great importance. The needs of users with disability must be a key feature in any design as is thecase for all public or communal areas. The school is still developing the structure of its day, but theintention is for students to have access to healthy nutritional food throughout the day.

It is envisaged that there will be a large central restaurant incorporating a satellite social/dining areaadjacent to the sporting facilities, which will be supported by a single kitchen. The new facilities arerequired to provide a combination of cold and cooked meals and should have the capacity to serve

and/or seat the whole school population (some students bring a packed lunch). An adjacent outdoor covered eating area is desirable.

All students will eat on site, with the exception of those who are being educated off-site or those whoreturn home for their midday meals. The speed of service and availability of seating for dining are keycriteria to be considered in order to meet the catering requirements. The school currently use anelectronic cashless service arrangement based around student accounts to assist them in providing aspeedy service. There will also be a small satellite dining provision near the main entrance to supportcommunity use. A caf type approach could work well here and the school would be interested inexploring options such as students running the caf themselves.

Careful consideration should be given to the design of the service areas which will be required toprovide access to dining spaces and also have direct access to the kitchen.

4.7 Social Learning Resource CentreThe SLRC should form a welcoming and inviting space at the heart space of the school. Within thisspace, individuals and small groups of students will be able to access books, ICT, and other resources in a purposeful but informal learning environment. Youth groups should also be able to usethis space so additional storage may be required.

4.8 Staff and Administration AreasThe school requires a combination of spaces to accommodate the management of the school and

curriculum. This will include offices, work areas and meeting spaces for staff. Some of these spaceswill be at the front of the school or centralised. Other staff spaces will be in each zone. All staff workareas will provide opportunities for passive supervision of students and will encourage the positive

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interaction between adults and students. Within each zone there will be a secure staff office for administrative and confidential meeting purposes. There will also be space for zone staff to meet andwork together.Administrative staff will be dispersed throughout the school, with a core management area locatedwithin the Reception and Administration Area. The administrative operation of the school should be atransparent and visible process, enabling students to experience the functions of their school, both asan observer and a participant. The core management area will consist of offices for the Headteacher,Bursar and Examinations, plus a Conference Room and Central Store. General staff facilities and acentral staff room will be at the heart of the school and provide both working and relaxation space,and be located to provide passive supervision of key areas such as the restaurant and heart space.

The school is also seeking to provide staff with changing and showering facilities, which couldpotentially double as additional changing for performances.

Consideration needs to be given to out of hours and community staff work and rest space.

4.9 Design Considerations for Community UseThe LEP will need to consider how access can be facilitated out of school hours to specified facilities,allowing for greater access at some times than at others. Security of un-used space needs to beconsidered carefully. Access during school hours by the community will be limited as the facilities willbe predominantly at capacity with school use. However, there may be occasions when this ispossible. The LEP should be aware of the latest guidance on dual use of school facilities and meetany appropriate national standards eg Sport England, UK Athletics.

All community areas must have: One control point & monitoring arrangement Access to accessible toilets and changing areas (including baby change facilities if possible)

Storage that can be shared or separated Links to Council ICT systems (eg use of the BeeZ card) Community information boards/ system

The school recognises the benefits of community engagement and aspires to providing access to arange of activity and provision to support the local community through use of its state of the artfacilities and resources. In principle, all areas of the school could be accessible to the communityduring times allocated to community use. Consideration will need to be given, in design andmanagement, to ensure appropriate safeguarding practice is in place when community access occurswhilst students are on site.

The Councils investment in Athletics in the Country Park and the indoor athletics facilities in theschool will provide core community usage in the new school. However these facilities are also for theschool learners to benefit from. The indoor athletics facilities would host indoor school and junior sports hall athletics meetings and skills development, therefore access to refreshment areas isimportant.

There is some existing community use of the schools sports facilities, this is expected to continue,develop further and be a focus for the expansion of community use at the school. Therefore, there isa requirement to consider the design of changing, toilet and showering facilities and access toaccommodate community use.

The second key focus of community use of the new facilities is expected to be cultural / performingarts and as such the schools library, hall, drama and dance facilities should be designed to meet theneeds of both the school and the community. In addition, it is expected that ICT will support the

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delivery of formal and informal adult learning activity. This will include consideration of energy andsecurity zones, dining facilities and WC provision. An entertainment licence will be required for theschool.Building on the model of Blackburn with Darwens Childrens Centre network and the integration of services at a neighbourhood level, the school facilities will promote and embed similar integratedservices to improve access to universal and targeted services for young people aged 13-19 andsupported through enabling multi agency teams such as police, youth services, Connexions andhealth and social care professionals to deliver services and work on-site. These professionals will beable to utilise work spaces within the Enhancement Zone, as well as use the heart and social spaces,book meeting rooms, learning spaces and confidential spaces as and when required to support thedelivery of extended services.

There is an aspiration to develop universal drop-in health facilities including targeted service deliveryto meet specific community needs (e.g. this may include sexual health services, substance misuseservices, or therapeutic services for children with additional needs). There is potential to expand thisprovision to enable community access to specialist health services as part of a broader strategy toreduce health inequalities. School facilities will support health promotion activity and educationevents. Confidentiality and discrete access to these services will need to be considered in the designof the flexible spaces which can be used by colleagues from other agencies.

The school will support delivery of Blackburn with Darwens youth offer through the provision of facilities and activity accessible through evenings and weekends to enable young people to engagein a range of positive opportunities. The Council envisages youth groups using the facilities incommunity times. Depending on the activities required, different facilities may be used e.g. sportsprovision, SLRC and/ or learning spaces (such as the Y7 zone), additional storage would be requiredfor any equipment. Access to refreshments and social space will be important for many communitygroups.

The school recognises the expertise and resources that the voluntary and community sector canbring in supporting young people and their families wider needs. The school will support partnershipopportunities to develop mutually beneficial arrangements.

4.10 The Enhancement Area and Multi-Agency Provision

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Learning Support will permeate the whole school, however some additional support areas need to beplaced in the same location but also connected to the wider teaching spaces. It is envisaged that theEnhancement Area is in a central location linked closely to the Social Learning Resource Centre.The Enhancement Area will provide the extensive support that is needed for a significant proportionof the schools students with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities. This area will focus uponsupporting pastoral needs, multi agency working and providing specialist areas of support and willbe located near the heart of the school. It is anticipated that within this area there is a large room(maximum 20 students) to cater for the extensive resources and group work needed. This area willalso be used for the parent partnership scheme. Access to ICT and a small kitchen area for staff andstudents to use, is essential.

Adjacent to this room are two smaller classrooms: the nurturing room (maximum 12 students) that willprovide an environment in which students feel safe and secure and can develop positive attitudes,social skills and raise self esteem. An intervention classroom (maximum 12 students) will be neededfor withdrawal groups for literacy, numeracy, social skills, motor skills and many more interventions.

Adjoining these smaller classrooms will be a number of smaller rooms for staff planning, storage,multi agency work (see section 4.10 above) and interventions for specialist provision wherebyextensive 1:1 support will occur such as Catch Up Literacy and Numeracy and counselling.

The Alternative Curriculum area will be adjacent to the multi agency provision. This large space willaccommodate 15 students, disengaged and disaffected with the normal school curriculum. They willstudy accredited courses using ASDAN, COPE and Wider Key Skills, as well as vocational courses.The room needs to have adequate study facilities as well as a more informal area.

Adjacent to this area is a Seclusion room, which will provide short term provision for students

displaying challenging behaviour from both Witton Park School and other schools across theborough. This space should be able to accommodate up to 15 students to work quietly andindependently. This room needs to be quiet and free from distractions.

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4.11 ICT and MediaThe school requires ICT to be fully embedded within the building design and curriculum provision,and wishes to move away from the traditional ICT Suite. There is still a requirement for the teachingof ICT as a discrete subject which will require specialist accommodation (see further details within theGlobal and Communications Zone), and each zone will need access to discrete spaces supportingthe requirements of their specialism. The year 7 and 8 learning zones in particular, should haveaccess to mobile devices whilst the other zones will require specific equipment to support the in-depth study of specialist curriculum areas.

4.12 Student Storage / Charging RequirementsEach zone area should be provided with unobtrusive secure student bag storage that is located inclose proximity to the entrance. Each student and member of staff will require secure personalstorage, and the ability to charge portable ICT devices. The successful solution will need to providefor easy and safe access by students, discourage vandalism, located so as not to disturb teachingand learning, or impede circulation. This may be in a covered circulation area or covered courtyardthat is integrated with the external design.

4.13 Furniture and Equipment RequirementsThe transformational nature of the schools requirements will ultimately require new kinds of fixed andloose furniture. To enable the spaces to be agile and flexible the furniture will by necessity becomemore portable. The rapid development of ICT equipment and its needs for servicing and connectivitywill further influence the design of the furniture solutions.Specialist spaces such as laboratories and the arts areas will require a combination of traditional andtransformational furniture. Students with SEN including those from Newfield will need to have specificadaptations (available in each zone) to meet needs, including rise/fall tables, sinks etc to improveaccessibility to learning and teaching opportunities.

4.14 Year 7 and 8 Leaning ZonesThese two zones will be homebases for year 7 and year 8. See Appendix 2 A Day in the Life of Rosie Year 7 for further information about how these home bases will operate.

Each zone will accommodate a year group of 250 students and will enable half-a year group togather at any one time

The intention is that students will be taught for approximately 60- 70% of the week within thisarea. Students may leave the base for PE, some Technology and Science

Themed/ skill based curriculum will be taught The zone will support a wide curriculum base and incorporate linkages with the other zones. The school wishes to build on the homebase approach to provide an area which encompasses

the feel of a big school with the friendly approach of a small school. Each zone should have access to own social and outside learning areas Flexible learning spaces will be required providing for a variety of group sizes. A leadership office will be available for the head of zone or a member of SLT. A small kitchenette will allow for light refreshments to be available, possibly first thing in the

morning or during the school day. A staff planning room will be available for PPA (Planning, Preparation and Administration) and

cross curricular planning within the zone.

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4.15 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)In this zone, students will develop knowledge of science, technology, engineering and maths througha combination of traditional subject based curricula and project based learning. In order to achievethis, the zone must contain a variety of specialist and general spaces. There is a requirement for anumber of very highly serviced spaces super labs for practical experimentation combined with morelightly serviced flexi labs which can fulfil a number of functions. Integral to the ethos of this area isthe ability for students to work collaboratively in small groups, but to come together to present resultsin a much larger group setting. The learning studio/faraday lab, will allow for formal or semi-formallectures or master classes to be given to up to 90 students at a time. Practical lessons or experiments will be easily conducted to large groups. This space should quickly sub divide into threesmaller areas, to provide the opportunity to focus on particular aspects of an experiment or subject