New school building, ‘The Point’, at The Oaks Specialist College, Tonbridge

Tonbridge SEND college unveils new school building, opening this month

The Oaks Specialist College in Tonbridge has today unveiled its new home learning centre, The Point, set to open to students this month.

Sustainable construction firm, TG Escapes, designed and built the new building using modular construction methods. The Point was completed in just six months, allowing education to continue at The Oaks with minimal disruption, and will be fully open to students from mid-November. 

Once open, the single-storey, 435m2 building will be used by students aged 18 to 25 with a variety of special educational needs and disabilities. It features five classrooms, including a workshop space with specialist provision for students with physical disabilities (such as a riser kitchen, a track and hoist, and accessible self-care facilities), plus a media space where students can practice skills like coding and film-making with specialist equipment adapted to their needs.

The Point is part of a £1.8m project to expand the special educational provision at The Oaks. Work began in March, after initial plans were approved in early 2025. 

This expansion also represents a major cost saving for the Local Authority. Educating a learner with a physical disability at The Oaks costs around £42,000 a year, compared with an average of £141,750 for out-of-county placements, as per a feasibility report by Kent County Council. By increasing local capacity, The Oaks can support more young people with special educational needs and disabilities closer to home while helping local authorities ease the financial pressure of high-cost EHCP placements.

TG Escapes was chosen to design and build The Point because of their sustainable construction methods, biophilic design principles, and specialist experience in the education sector — an area in which the company recently won an Education Estates Award for Modular Provider of the Year.

Mark Guyatt, Lead Architectural Consultant at TG Escapes, said: “Biophilic design is an architectural approach that seeks to connect a building’s occupants with nature, promoting wellbeing, health, and productivity. When these principles are applied to a school environment, the benefits for students are clear. For example, a 2015 study found that school surroundings rich in greenery are linked to improved cognitive skills, while maximising natural light helps to reduce reliance on harsh artificial lighting, which can be distressing for students with special educational needs and disabilities.

“The Point at The Oaks is a prime example of this in practice. We incorporated natural materials like timber, floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights, covered canopies and other elements that demonstrate biophilic design in action and link the inside to out. Students were also invited to safely explore their new space during construction.”

Ros Leach, College Principal at The Oaks, said: “For some of our learners, transitions from school can feel overwhelming, especially if the prospect is to move out of home as well. It was great for them to have the opportunity to get to know The Point during construction, so that when it formally opens in mid-November, it already feels like a safe and welcoming place to learn. Investing in The Point demonstrates our commitment to providing our students with exemplary education. It also gives us extra capacity at The Oaks, meaning that young people who require additional specialist provision can remain rooted in their local community while attending a college that meets their needs, enabling them to maintain family contacts and positive relationships as well as learning vital independent and employability skills.”

Matt Boughton, Leader of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, said: “The Oaks is a wonderful environment for SEND learners, which we are lucky to have in Tonbridge. Since 2018, they have made a huge difference to the lives of everyone who has studied there. I am delighted that this provision is expanding, which will help learners from Tonbridge and the surrounding area have high-quality provision within our community. The Point is a significant investment in Tonbridge, and this expansion will only help The Oaks do even more great work in the town.”

The bespoke timber-clad building has been designed to have a gold-standard ‘A*’ EPC rating, and is powered by solar panels and air source heat pumps. Features like this support The Oaks’ “Let’s Go Zero” carbon reduction plan, and will save an estimated £4.5-6k in annual running costs and 3.2 tons of CO2 per year compared to buildings meeting minimum building control standards. Furnishings have been donated to The Oaks free of charge by HiBob, via the charity and UK’s leading free resource for education, Business 2 Schools.

An opening ceremony for The Point will be held at The Oaks Specialist College on Wednesday, 12th November, where BBC South East Today presenter Charlie Rose will be in attendance.