Marking a key development milestone, work has begun to construct a brand-new secondary school for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in Greenwich.

Located on Hargood Road, Rowan Wood School will provide 128 places for children aged 11-19 with autism (ASD) and complex needs, and is set to complete later this year.

The two-storey SEN facility will be situated on the site of former primary school Kidbrooke Park, which has been demolished to make way for the new purpose-built school.

Designed to Department for Education (DfE) regulations and Building Bulletin 104 (BB104) guidelines, Rowan Wood will consist of three modular buildings which will be linked together, with one building dedicated to administration and dining, and the other two designed for teaching.

Multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard is behind the project, providing project management, cost management, and health and safety services via the Crown Commercial Service Construction Professional Services framework, working in close collaboration with contractor Galliford Try and architects Haverstock.

Simon Hembury, associate director of project management at Pick Everard, said: “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.

“The site is located in a residential area, so we have worked very closely with both the Royal Borough of Greenwich and Galliford Try to ensure minimal disruption and ensure everyone is on board with a project that will really transform local educational need in the area.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the site evolve over the course of the year and have a positive impact on the region.”

As part of the project, the team cleared a large amount of asbestos from the previous school building onsite, ensuring the area is safe for future construction.

Helping maintain quality and efficient standards of delivery, offsite construction methods will be used to construct the new school, with transport routes carefully determined to deliver goods and materials to the site.

PV panels will also be installed on the roof, with the project targeting BREEAM Excellent.

Gavin Bridge, managing director for building southern at Galliford Try, said: “This event marked the start of our collective journey towards providing an exceptional SEN school. We are excited to work alongside the Royal Borough of Greenwich and our partners to bring Rowan Wood school to life. Providing every child with the opportunity to thrive, to learn, and to grow in a setting designed to meet their unique needs and aspirations.”

Cllr Majid Rahman, cabinet member for planning, estate renewal and development, said: “This day marks the start of an exciting new chapter for our local education and planning sectors. This is tangible proof of the resource we are inputting into much needed positive developments for our residents. We are working on building more provisions like this in the borough to meet demand which I am eager to see come to fruition.”

For more information on Pick Everard’s services, head to https://www.pickeverard.co.uk/