Work has officially commenced on the construction of a state-of-the-art secondary school for students with special educational needs (SEN) in Greenwich.

Located on Hargood Road, Rowan Wood School will cater to 128 pupils, aged 11 to 19, with autism (ASD) and complex needs. The school is expected to be completed later this year.

The two-storey facility will be built on the site of the former Kidbrooke Park Primary School, which has been demolished to make way for the new purpose-built structure. Designed in compliance with Department for Education (DfE) regulations and Building Bulletin 104 (BB104) guidelines, the school will consist of three modular buildings connected together. One building will house administration and dining facilities, while the other two will be dedicated to classrooms and teaching spaces.

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Pick Everard, a multi-disciplinary consultancy, is overseeing the project, providing project management, cost management, and health and safety services through the Crown Commercial Service Construction Professional Services framework. The company is working closely with contractor Galliford Try and architects Haverstock on the design and delivery of the project.

Simon Hembury, associate director of project management at Pick Everard, shared his thoughts on the significance of the project: "It's always rewarding to work on SEN schools and consider the unique design requirements that staff and pupils will need from their space. At Rowan Wood, that means we’re consulting extensively with various stakeholders to ensure we are designing an inclusive space for all, in line with DfE regulations."

As part of the development, the team has successfully removed a large amount of asbestos from the previous school building, ensuring the site is safe for future construction work. Offsite construction methods will be employed to maintain efficiency and quality standards, with transport routes carefully planned to deliver materials to the site.

In addition to its design and functionality, Rowan Wood School will feature environmentally sustainable elements, including the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof. The project is targeting BREEAM Excellent certification, further underlining its commitment to sustainability.