Schools + FE

Lead contacts

— Schools Sector Director
Claire Mantle

- Role
Schools Sector Director

- Studio
Birmingham

Claire Mantle

As ADP’s school sector lead, Claire leads the practice’s school strategy. She shares lessons learned, best practice and specialist knowledge across our studios and the sector more widely.

Claire believes that the only way to create responsive, inspiring learning environments is to put pupils at the centre of the design process, consulting closely with user working groups to understand staff requirements.

This year, she has been working to incorporate ‘design for wellbeing’ into all of our school briefs and designs, using an evidence-based approach. She is also leading post occupancy evaluations of our schools to appraise their performance and gain feedback from pupils and staff.

Related projects

Star Academies: A model for good schools

We have designed and delivered a growing number of schools for Star Academies (previously known as the Tauheedul Education Trust). Delivering a number of schools for the same trust can present opportunities – for instance, we’ve carried over a number of successes and lessons learned from one project to the next.

Aureus School: Putting wellbeing at the centre of learning

Forming part of a new community being built on the outskirts of Didcot, Aureus School needed to serve as one of the beating hearts of that community, echoing and supporting its values. Didcot is emerging as a technology town of the future, and the new school’s curriculum would reflect this with a focus on STEAM […]

The Swan + Meadowbrook Schools: Oxford’s first new schools in half a century

Oxford has grown rapidly over the last 50 years, but a lack of new schools has placed a real strain on resources. To remedy this, we were appointed to design a completely new secondary school in the northern suburb of Marston, along with an Alternative Provision (AP) Academy on a nearby site.

— Chair
Craig Cullimore

- Role
Chair

- Studio
Oxford

Craig Cullimore

As our chair, Craig’s role focuses on the strategic direction and management of the practice. Alongside this, he continues his involvement in projects through leading design reviews and his role as an accredited RIBA Client Adviser.

Craig is particularly interested in the outcomes a project can achieve. By measuring key sustainability, belonging and engagement factors, he makes sure that we deliver aspirational projects which provide clients and communities with real value.

Outside of ADP, Craig is a member of the Construction Excellence Committee, coaches children’s rugby, and (when time permits) is also refurbishing his family home.

Related projects

Claires Court School: Shaping the future of this successful diamond school

CPS1_CheshamPrep_SwimmingPool_02-1000×1000

Chesham Preparatory School: Sustainable design in a green belt setting

Our brief at Chesham Preparatory School was to design a suite of new facilities – a swimming pool, dining hall, performance space, and additional classrooms – along with landscapes around the buildings. The range of spaces presented opportunities as well as challenges, but the key hurdle to overcome was the fact that the site was […]

Elmsbrook Local Centre: At the heart of the UK’s first true zero-carbon development

The Elmsbrook Local Centre is our ambitious vision for a true zero-carbon town centre in north-east Oxfordshire. The developer – A2Dominion – needed the centre to reflect the sustainable values of the wider community, which is the country’s first true zero-carbon development on a large scale.

Compact Apartments: Contemporary living in a historic city centre

In a historic city like Oxford, opportunities for new housing are few and far between. We were excited to have the chance to convert a 1960s office building in the city centre into a suite of compact flats, adding a rooftop extension: the challenge lay in making the best use of limited space.

Activate Learning: Transforming further education in the South

Activate Learning is a group of further education colleges in the South East, including City of Oxford College, Banbury and Bicester College, and Reading College. We’ve completed a number of projects for the group in the past – ranging from campus masterplans to teaching buildings.

— Chief Executive
Stephen Miles

- Role
Chief Executive

- Studio
Edinburgh

Stephen Miles

Stephen is ADP's chief executive. He leads the global business plan and operational management of the practice on behalf of the board. His practice-wide role involves supporting public sector and commercial projects, as well as business development and client liaison. He has significant experience in a range of sectors – particularly the education and residential sectors.

Stephen is a Fellow of the RIAS, and a nationally elected trustee of the incorporation. He is also one of the 25 accredited sustainable design architects in Scotland recognised by the RIAS.

Stephen enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and keeping fit. He can often be found on the tennis courts or golf course.

Related projects

Glenburn Early Years Centre: Inspiring a lifelong love of learning

Designing a new early years centre is a challenging – but exciting – project. As children’s first formal experience of education, the Glenburn Early Years Centre needed to inspire a lifelong love of learning, and to give young children a nurturing, safe environment to explore and discover together.

Heriot-Watt University James Watt Centre social area

Heriot-Watt University: Flexible learning spaces for the 21st century

We’ve worked on several refurbishment projects for Heriot-Watt University, designing spaces from lecture theatres to a café. On every project, the University emphasised the importance of understanding how students learn in the 21st century: spaces needed to be flexible and varied, with up-to-date technology that would encourage students to stay on campus.

Blue Box Design: A creative and efficient packaging facility

This new facility tackles many of the assumptions of the packaging industry, giving an alternative – and highly efficient – way of doing business. The building needed to bring the design and manufacturing processes into one place, cutting out the time involved in going back and forth between concept and delivery.

Empowering the next generation

Our specialist experience includes:

Our Schools + FE projects

Related insights + news

Planning Approved for Kneller Hall

Two ADP Projects Shortlisted for Education Property Awards 2025

Claire Mantle’s insight ‘Designing a SEN School: What we’ve learned so far’, featured in Inclusive Design magazine

Lead contacts

Star Academies: A model for good schools

Aureus School: Putting wellbeing at the centre of learning

The Swan + Meadowbrook Schools: Oxford’s first new schools in half a century

Claires Court School: Shaping the future of this successful diamond school

Chesham Preparatory School: Sustainable design in a green belt setting

Elmsbrook Local Centre: At the heart of the UK’s first true zero-carbon development

Compact Apartments: Contemporary living in a historic city centre

Activate Learning: Transforming further education in the South

Glenburn Early Years Centre: Inspiring a lifelong love of learning

Heriot-Watt University: Flexible learning spaces for the 21st century

Blue Box Design: A creative and efficient packaging facility

Our Schools + FE Clients