Foundry Education are a small, family-owned business based in Northamptonshire. We bring together 46 years of combined expertise in education and construction to create high-quality modular spaces for schools, with inclusion, wellbeing and support at the heart of every single project.
Where building meets belonging.
Foundry Education was created to bridge the gap between schools and manufacturers.
Schools understand their pupils and provision. Construction specialists understand how to deliver buildings. Too often, however, they operate separately, resulting in spaces that fail to fully support the students and staff who use them.
That’s why we bring both together - combining educational insight with design and build expertise to create inclusive, permanent spaces that support belonging, wellbeing and learning.
Our turnkey modular service provides schools with a seamless route to creating meaningful, permanent spaces - from initial consultation and design through to installation, evaluation and ongoing support, we’re with you at every stage.
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Experts
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Sectors
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Goal
Affordable, Sustainable & Inclusive Spaces for Schools.
Meet the Team
A Family Partnership.
Founded by siblings, Foundry Education brings together the extensive experience in state school leadership and mainstream SEND provision, with the market-leading sustainable modular construction expertise of Foundry Living.
Carly Waterman
Co-Founder and Education Director
26 years’ experience in state secondary schools
Former English teacher, senior leader, and Headteacher
Former Director of ECT at Ambition Institute
Experienced governor, trustee and member
Former member of support and challenge group for DfE
Speaker, blogger and thought-leader
Daniel Burns
Co-Founder & Manufacturing Director
20 years’ experience in modular construction and architectural design
Progressed from shop-floor roles to leading multi-million pound modular businesses
9 years as Director of an architectural design studio
Trained in Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing across Europe
Proven track record of expert design, manufacturing and building delivery
Inclusion as a design principle.
At Foundry Education, our values shape every decision we make: how we design, how we build, and how we work with schools.
We specialise in creating spaces for vulnerable children to regulate, feel safe and feel confident to participate in small group tuition. We don’t believe vulnerable children should sit on the margins of school life. We believe they deserve a space at its heart - thoughtfully designed to meet their needs.
Human-Scale
Every decision starts with the lived experience of children, staff and families. We design spaces that feel calm, safe and purposeful - spaces that support daily school life while recognising the needs of children who use them most.
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Spaces where children can be known, supported and feel safe to be themselves.
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Environments that strengthen connection between pupils, staff and families.
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Shaped in partnership with schools, specialists and families.
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Practical layouts that work for the realities of school life.
Inclusion by Design
Inclusion is not an add-on. It is embedded from the very beginning - through evaluation, design, build and implementation - so that each space works for the children it is intended to support.
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Environments where every child can feel included, supported and able to thrive.
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Drawing on research, expertise and experience to meet a wide range of needs.
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Adaptable spaces that can evolve as to cohorts and requirements change.
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Involving children, families and staff in the design and use of inclusion spaces.
Durability & Value
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Realistic pricing for schools and best value over time.
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Honest pricing and a flexible menu of services.
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Responsibly chosen materials and practices that support the environment.
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Modular buildings with the lifespan of permanent buildings, plus the flexibility to adapt as needs change.
We believe the most vulnerable children deserve spaces that feel welcoming, high-quality and are built to last. Our spaces are designed to be sustainable, practical and affordable - delivering long-term value without compromise.
We share what we learn.
At Foundry Education, our mission is not simply to sell inclusion bases. It is to help schools create meaningful, inclusive spaces where every child feels they belong, especially those who are most vulnerable.
That’s why we share our research, insights and expertise openly through our blog, with future case studies and impact evaluations to help teachers and leaders strengthen inclusion in their own schools, whether they are Foundry customers or not.
