Partners gathered at Yeoman Park Academy on Monday 6 October to tour its new building and take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The academy – part of Diverse Academies Trust – moved into an impressive new building in April 2025, with state-of-the-art facilities for children and young people with special needs and disabilities (SEND).
The building was one of the first of 50 new schools in the UK to be completed under the Department for Education’s (DfE) schools rebuilding programme, and all partners came together for the first time to mark this milestone and to celebrate the building’s inauguration.
Representatives from Nottinghamshire County Council, the DfE, contractor BAM, and architects, Noviun, enjoyed a guided tour of the building, which provides an immersive learning environment for students, including sensory rooms, a hydrotherapy pool, soft play areas, and purpose-designed outdoor play areas.
Guests also had the opportunity to meet with principal, Courtney Hoop, and some of the academy’s young learners to see how they had settled into life at the new building.
Chief Executive Officer of Diverse Academies Trust, David Cotton, said: “It was wonderful to meet with our partners today and to invite them to take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate this fantastic building. We allowed a short period of adjustment for our young learners and their families to settle into their new environment, so this is the first time that some of our partners have seen the new building fully operational. I hope they are as impressed as we have been, and that they agree that Yeoman Park stands as a beacon of excellence within the local community.”
Nottinghamshire County Council contributed more than £2.5 million to the scheme, which has been funded and delivered by the DfE’s Schools Rebuilding Programme, to secure an additional 28 places.
Councillor Rory Green, cabinet member for children and families, described the staff as ‘incredible’ especially after they were rated as outstanding in all areas last January. He said: “I could see this shine through in the person-centred care and support the children were receiving. They can now flourish even more with these world-class facilities.”
Councillor Hana John, cabinet member for education and SEND, said: “It was great to see these new, fantastic facilities which will help children thrive. We are always looking to hit our objectives to ensure SEND places are spread across the county.
“As someone who grew up as an SEND student, it means so much that we give the best quality education for all children, in the best possible setting and continue to invest in our future generations.”