The school, which is due to start on site in January 2011 with completion by May 2012, will cater for pupils through to key stage three and includes an all-weather pitch and multi-use games area.

Since 2005, the company has secured £207 million of work under the IESE (Improvement and Efficiency South East) framework, which is used by local authorities in the southern Home Counties. Sustainable development remains a key focus and during 2008, Willmott Dixon diverted 96.6 per cent of waste from landfill on IESE projects and has an average of four apprentices on each IESE project.

Mid-Sussex SEN School is Willmott Dixon’s ninth project in West Sussex since 2005 and its 19th under the IESE framework. IESE key account manager Richard Pickett said “This is our second special needs school in West Sussex in the past four years.”

Richard continues, “We have in-depth experience, skills and knowledge in the delivery of special needs schools, having recently completed several others in the south of England such as Freemantles SEN School in Surrey and Holyport Manor SEN school in Berkshire.”

Willmott Dixon’s managing director in Cobham, Mark Tant, adds, “The IESE framework is extremely valuable to our ongoing business and this project is an important step in securing our targeted workload for 2011 from the southern region, as well as helping sustain our supply chain in the present uncertain market.”