The £19.4 million project will deliver a permanent home for Connaught Special School, offering 105 places for pupils aged four to 18 with complex needs, including autism and severe learning difficulties.
The school will replace a temporary site in Upton Park that supports just 45 pupils.
Joe Shepherd, managing director – public sector at Reds10, the industrialised construction specialist delivering the project, said: “In partnership with the Department for Education, we are proud to start the delivery of this purpose-built SEND school in Newham, which will become the latest example of the sustainable, innovative and high-quality educational facilities that our advanced construction techniques provide.
“This project represents a vital investment in specialist education, helping address a chronic shortage of SEND places in Newham, and we’re proud to create a space where neurodiverse pupils will be supported to reach their full potential.”
The two-storey, all-through school will be located off Royal Road, near Prince Regent DLR station.
It is designed by HLM Architects in collaboration with Newham Council and the Learning in Harmony Trust, and will include 14 classrooms, therapy rooms, a sensory room, soft play area, and outdoor play areas.
Councillor Sarah Ruiz, cabinet member for children’s services, education and sustainable transport, said: “This exceptional new state of the art, purpose-built facility is a vital and very welcome addition to Newham’s family of schools.
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“Connaught School, with its 14 classrooms and specialist design, including therapy rooms, a sensory room, soft play area and exceptional access to all areas will mean that more of our children and young people with SEND can have their needs met in the borough.”
The school will be built using modular construction methods at Reds10’s East Yorkshire factory, aiming to achieve BREEAM Excellent sustainability standards.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place earlier this month, with construction expected to be completed in winter 2026/27.
