Our New School Building Journey
August 2024
We are pleased to inform parents and the local community that Applebee Wood Community Specialist School has been selected as part of the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme. As such, a planning application is being assembled on our behalf by our planning consultants, Iceni Projects, which proposes to demolish the existing school building and develop a new school building and external areas at the existing site.
As you’ll likely be aware, the current school building is not fit for purpose and is coming to the end of its operational lifespan. Originally, the school was delivered for secondary school children with moderate learning difficulties, however we now accommodate students aged 4 to 16 with a wide variety of increasingly complex needs. The school now hosts children with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), including specialist non-ambulant classes, and there is a projected rise in children with higher than moderate learning difficulties in the area. To ensure that the school is able to continue to offer our students a high-quality learning environment which caters for their increasing range of complex needs, there is a fundamental requirement for a new school building and grounds to be delivered.
Ground Breaking Ceremony November 2025
November 2025
On Tuesday, 25th November 2025, marked an historic day for the Applebee Wood School community. Staff, students, and key partners gathered under bright autumn skies to celebrate the official groundbreaking ceremony for our brand-new school building.
This exciting development comes at a pivotal time, as Applebee Wood School proudly settles into its new position under the umbrella of The Sea View Trust Multi Academy Trust. The start of construction symbolizes not just new bricks and mortar, but a renewed commitment to providing the very best educational environment for our young people.
Steel Signing Day February 2026
February 2026
Building for the Future The ceremony saw pupils, School and Trust staff and representatives from Tilbury Douglas and the Department for Education gather to sign a steel beam which was then lifted into position by a crane, forming an integral part of the new structure. This event allowed the Applebee Wood community to make their mark at the very heart of their future school building.
Looking forward to the opportunities the new school building will provide, Headteacher John Cockerill shared, “Today marks an exciting milestone in our school’s journey as our children and staff took part in the steel signing for our new building. It was a wonderful moment of pride and anticipation, giving everyone the chance to leave their mark, quite literally, on the future of our school. Seeing the structure take shape before our eyes has brought a real sense of excitement and possibility to our community.”
>>Read the full article here<< >>Watch the promotional video from Tilbury Douglas<<
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