We are delighted to announce that students and staff have now moved into Yeoman Park Academy’s brand new, purpose-built building. The construction was completed over the Easter break, ready for the start of the summer term – and we have had a fantastic start in our new home.
This state-of-the-art facility offers a truly inspiring environment for learning, specially designed to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The building includes:
- High-quality teaching spaces
- A fully equipped hydrotherapy pool
- A multi-use games area
- Sensory gardens
- A spacious hall for events and activities
This marks a major milestone for Yeoman Park Academy. Selected for redevelopment in 2021 as part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) schools rebuilding programme, our academy is among the first 50 new school buildings completed and ready for use.
The project was funded by the DfE and supported by Nottinghamshire County Council as part of its wider plan to create 490 additional special school places by 2026. With the new space, we are proud to be able to offer 28 additional places to local families. The build was delivered by BAM in collaboration with Novium Architects.
To support a smooth transition, our students were given guided tours and time to settle in gradually. We have been so impressed by how quickly they have adapted and embraced the new surroundings.
Principal, Courtney Hoop, said: “In January the academy was graded as ‘outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted despite our old and tired building. We are now able to bring together outstanding facilities with our outstanding culture and offer the very best to our learners. Our curriculum and approach to reading was praised during the inspection, so with improved facilities we feel that the sky is the limit. Our new building is impressive and states that we are here to support special educational needs (SEN) learners within Diverse Academies, the local environment and Nottinghamshire. On completion of phase two, we will have additional parking and outdoor areas to support our children and young people, so our school will continue to go from strength to strength.”
David Cotton, CEO of Diverse Academies Trust, shared: “We are thrilled to be able to move into this incredible building, and I cannot wait to see our students thrive in their new learning environment. I would like to thank the amazing people and partners who have worked together to bring this project to fruition – we are grateful to each and every person who has worked on the building. It will make such a huge difference to the lives of children and young people with special needs in our local community.”
Cat Thornton, Chief Education Officer at Diverse Academies, added: “We are delighted that the close partnership working with the community, local authority and DfE has enabled us to ensure that more children access an outstanding quality of education within a wonderful environment. We are so proud that Yeoman Park continues to flourish within our Trust through excellent team work and the highest ambitions for every child.”
Adam Harding, Regional Director at BAM, said: “At BAM, we’re proud to partner with Yeoman Park Academy and our trusted supply network to make possible an exceptional SEND school that truly supports pupils, staff, and families. From immersive learning environments and intuitive design to therapy pools and assistive technology, every detail is shaped around making daily challenges easier and lives better.
This isn’t just a building – it’s a space designed with purpose, empathy, and innovation. Understanding the vision behind it has inspired our team to deliver more than just construction; we’ve helped create a place where possibility becomes reality.”
We are incredibly proud of our new building and the opportunities it brings for our students. As we look to the future and the completion of phase two, we’re excited to see Yeoman Park Academy continue to grow and thrive.
