Habberley Learning Village

The new Habberley Learning Village will be established on the site currently occupied by Baxter College and St John’s CE Primary School in Kidderminster.

The project will involve the construction of the new Wyre Forest Special School and 16 bed residential unit, together with a new science block for Baxter College and new classrooms for St John’s Primary School.

The shared vision of all three schools on the site is to develop opportunities for increasing integration, which could involve the shared use of buildings and facilities. For this reason, it is anticipated that the new Special School will be built close to the Baxter College buildings, and it is important that the construction work should be completed with minimal disruption to the school.

The existing site slopes, and has been graded to provide a series of separate terraces. It is possible that the new Special School may occupy more than one of these terraces, and may include a split section to accommodate the changes in level. Some of the accommodation will be at first floor level, and all areas will be fully accessible. There may be some additional terracing of the external works to provide level and secure outdoor areas.

It is proposed that the new buildings will mark the next stage in WCC’s policy of environmentally sustainable design, by setting new standards of performance and energy efficiency. It is proposed that the school could be designed to achieve excellent thermal performance and airtightness, and construction processes will involve a high percentage of recycled content.