Morgan Sindall marks construction milestone at Essex’s Glenwood Sixth Form development
Morgan Sindall Construction’s Essex business has celebrated progress at the brand-new SEND Glenwood Sixth Form in South Benfleet with a commemorative event.
On Monday 26th January, local community leaders joined future staff and students of the sixth form as well as representatives from Essex County Council (ECC) and Morgan Sindall to mark the completion of a key stage in the school’s construction.
Appointed by ECC to the £6.6m project through the ECC framework, Morgan Sindall’s Essex business is constructing a new facility with five classrooms, a dining space, catering training centre, meeting room, and specialised sensory rooms. Once complete, this will create a safe, enriching environment for children with additional learning needs to enjoy.
During the ceremony the attendees, which included Cllr Andrew Sheldon and Cllr Beverley Egan, signed the last remaining open section of the wall before it is closed and plastered over.
To meet ECC’s growing demand for SEND spaces, Glenwood Sixth Form will have capacity for 40 students when it completes in spring 2026. The finished project will include vibrant landscaping, small play areas, and a car park with 109 spaces, seven EV charging spots, three accessible spots, and eight additional mini bus spaces.
The new educational space has been constructed using a SIPS frame and brickwork façade, delivering both efficiency and durability. This combination will create excellent insulation and airtightness, as well as reduce energy costs and create a comfortable learning environment for students.
In line with Morgan Sindall’s commitment to sustainability, Glenwood Sixth Form will be carbon net-zero in operation, powered by PV panels on the roof and air source heat pumps.
Ryan Liversage, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Essex, said:
Reaching this milestone in the creation of South Benfleet’s brand-new SEND Glenwood Sixth Form not only underlines how far it has come, but also what a rewarding project it has been to work on. Delivering specialist educational facilities requires careful consideration of the unique requirements of pupils with special educational needs and we're proud to be creating a sustainable and inspiring learning environment that will truly support their development.”
Cllr Andrew Sheldon, Deputy Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability, said:
We are excited and very pleased at the progress of the new Glenwood Sixth Form in South Benfleet. This will bring much-needed support for children and families of children with SEND in south Essex.
This is a major milestone, and we look forward to seeing the final stages of the project come to fruition. All partners remain committed and we will continue working closely together.
Essex County Council has a strong record of forecasting and delivering school places, and this investment is part of our ten-year plan to deliver 6,240 new primary school places by 2035.”
The new sixth form will be part of Glenwood SEN School, a £15.4m project that was completed by Morgan Sindall in 2017, creating a state-of-the-art educational facility for 210 students aged 3-19-years-old with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties.
ENDS