- 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.
