What are you proposing?
- Willow Dene School is proposing to expand its education provision by providing up to 24 new specialist sixth form places for students aged from 16 -19.
- The new sixth form provision for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and complex physical and medical needs is proposed to be permanent.
- Building works for the new sixth form provision on the school’s secondary campus (Oakmere Road site) is anticipated to be completed before September 2023. The actual site of the proposed development is on the corner of Wickham Lane and Waterdale Road.
- The proposed new sixth form places would then be filled over approximately three years starting from September 2023 within the new accommodation.
Why is this needed?
- Overall demand for special school places within the Royal Borough of Greenwich and across London is increasing. Within this trend, there are also an increasing number of students with severe and complex learning needs such as being non-verbal, lacking basic independence skills, and requiring an exceptionally high level of individual support.
- Current local trends suggest that the demand for 16 - 19 specialist provision in the borough will increase significantly over the medium term. In particular, there is increasing pressure for specialist provision for children with autism (ASD) with complex learning needs, moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) and fewer opportunities to place these students in appropriate settings.
- Expanding special school provision within the borough enables more children to attend a school that is both local to them and able to meet their needs.
- Willow Dene School currently has no sixth form provision to help meet this growing need, including for their own students moving from Year 11 to sixth form. Establishing a sixth form at the school will help meet this increasing demand for children diagnosed with ASD with complex learning, physical and medical needs.
- Willow Dene School is part of The Compass Partnership of Schools, a multi-academy trust, who are working in partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich to meet the rising demand for specialist sixth form places.
- Willow Dene is a popular and successful school, it is accredited by the National Autistic Society and as a centre of excellent by MOVE.
What is there at present?
The proposed development site (corner of Wickham Lane and Waterdale Road) is currently unused.
Previously, there was a former temporary building situated in this location. This temporary structure was in situ for several years whilst a new school nearby was being redeveloped.
Who makes the decision on the application?
The proposed development of new specialist sixth form provision is subject to both the decisions being sought through the planning department and a full business case application that will be submitted by the school (Compass Partnership) to the Department for Education (DfE).
In terms of the planning application, drawings of the new sixth form provision will be made available to view on the Council’s planning portal once the application has been submitted.
When will the application be submitted to the council and when will the decision be made?
We expect to submit the application in December 2022 the council are expected to take up to 13 weeks to make a decision on the application.
Who will fund the building works for the new sixth form provision?
Given the need for additional sixth form specialist places in the borough, the Council has agreed in principle to fund the building works to deliver the new sixth form specialist provision at Willow Dene School.
What is the timeframe for the new sixth form provision? What happens next?
Responses to this consultation will be considered by Willow Dene School and the Compass Partnership Trust before submitting a full business case to the Department for Education (DfE) in December. A DfE decision on the proposal is anticipated during spring term 2023.
The designs for the sixth form accommodation are currently being developed and will be submitted to planning in January 2023.
The planning decision would be subject to the normal planning consultation route and can take up to 13 weeks to decide.
The outcome of the Department for Education’s decision on the full business case is anticipated by Spring 2023.
When will construction start?
The date that construction starts depends when the local council make their decision.
We expect a final decision from the local council in Spring 2023. If permission is granted, this would result in construction starting in Summer 2023.
When will the proposed new sixth form open?
From September 2023.
Will construction be noisy?
Modern construction methods tend to be less noisy than in the past. Whilst there will inevitably be some disturbance, the hours of operation will be limited by the council to 8am to 6pm Mon to Fri and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.
The selected contractor will be part of the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
I am unable to make the online Q&A sessions. Will there be an opportunity to view them at a later date?
Yes, the online Q&A sessions will be made available on this website shortly after the final event.
Are there any other ways I can have my say on the proposals?
Yes, please call our freephone number 0800 955 1042 between 9am and 5.30pm, Monday-Friday. You can also email us at [email protected] or write to our freepost address Freepost RTXU-JGSR-KHLE, Your Shout – Willow Dene, 28 China Works, SE1 7SJ. Greenwich Council will also hold their own statutory consultation, following the submission of a planning application.