School Expansion Programme
Our School Expansion Programme (SEP) has been successfully meeting the borough’s increased demand for extra primary school places by constructing new buildings, classrooms, specialist facilities and play spaces. Works to expand and improve primary schools began in 2010, and the multi-million pound expansion programme has provided over 8,000 additional, permanent school places for local children.
Our future plans to create additional school places ensure that we will continue to meet demand into the next decade. Our current strategy focuses on delivering much-needed special school places for children of all ages across the borough, by increasing capacity in special schools and providing new and improved school buildings with modern facilities. New facilities such as specialist sensory rooms and life skills teaching accommodation will benefit special needs pupils with a personalised, supportive education. This will provide all special needs pupils with access to broad curriculums and the opportunities they need to thrive.
We work closely with construction companies to ensure schools are able to continue to deliver the curriculum whilst minimising disruption to local communities. Our consultation and engagement activities ensure that parents, staff, pupils and local residents are kept aware of all stages of an expansion project.
The SEP team ensure that up to date information on project progress is available. For more information, email schoolexpansions@enfield.gov.uk or contact them on 020 8379 5364.
As well as Enfield’s School Expansion Programme, additional provision is being delivered through new, free school academies, supported directly by the Department for Education. We are working in collaboration with all partners in delivering places to meet demand.
Minchenden School
We have developed proposals for a specialist educational facility for children with autism, after acquiring the site at Minchenden from Barnet and Southgate College. We intend to re-develop the northern section of the site to have modern facilities for secondary autism provision to meet the complex needs of students.
The new school will provide places for 120 pupils for Year 9 to 11, and post-16 pupils (aged 14 to 18), expanding specialist autism provision across all age groups in Enfield. This will address the acute need within the borough.
The proposals comprise refurbishment and modification of existing buildings on site to provide modern education facilities. The Farbey Building will be refurbished and remodelled for school accommodation, including a small extension. The Mews Building will be reconfigured and refurbished to provide a sixth form common room, as well as overnight stay/life skills teaching accommodation to help prepare pupils for living on their own. An open sided workshop will be remodelled to provide additional required school accommodation.
Vehicle and pedestrian access to the new school will be improved by provision of an additional route into the site from Leigh Hunt Drive as well as improving access from the High Street. The school will have 28 car parking spaces on-site and space for four minibuses with access via the existing public car park.
We are committed to supporting the needs of all our young people and believe that this proposal provides an opportunity to ensure that they have access to an outstanding learning environment at the most appropriate location for their needs.
The development of the school will only proceed if planning permission is gained. You can use the online planning register to view and formally comment on the planning applications and view documents.
West Lea School
The above is a computer-generated impression of the proposed West Lea School building and campus.
West Lea School provides 'Learning for Life' for pupils aged 4 to 19 with special educational needs.
New developments at the School's Haselbury Road campus will increase the capacity of the site by over 50% up to 160 pupils with works due to start in autumn 2017.
The first phase of the development plans involves the partial demolition of existing accommodation, building a two storey-teaching block, newly defined pedestrian and vehicular access, car parking, and a new entrance to the school.
The second phase will start once these initial works are complete and includes building a new single storey teaching block, a new larger dining hall, an extension to the existing gym, new play areas and outside seating areas. The existing buildings will be refurbished including new flooring and toilets.
Special needs pupils will benefit from modern facilities that will encourage high quality teaching and equip them with the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly competitive world.
All works are expected to be completed by autumn 2020.
Orchardside School
Following planning approval in November 2015, plans to develop a new purpose built school in Bullsmoor Lane have begun.
Orchardside School will have up to 100 students and will provide facilities for the Secondary Tuition Service which currently operates across three sites across the borough. The service is rated outstanding by Ofsted.
The students who will attend Orchardside will benefit from a more personalised supportive educational setting outside of mainstream schools, with a broad curriculum and the opportunity for the students to take GCSEs.
Improving the accommodation and facilities will allow for a wider range of practical-based courses including specialised teaching spaces and increased outdoor sports and play facilities. This is in line with recommendations from Ofsted.
The key features of the proposed design:
- A predominantly single-storey, traditionally constructed building with a two-storey hall.
- 12 classrooms, four practical spaces (mostly science labs), learning resource spaces (library and ICT), hall, kitchen and dining room, medical and support spaces, staff areas (reception, offices and staff room) plus ancillary accommodation (toilets, changing and storage).
- The site will cover 2500sqm.
- 29 staff and visitor car parking spaces will be provided. Parking will be contained within a secure site with a swipe card entry system, speaker and camera access.
The new school is designed to minimise the visual impact of the buildings and contribute to the surrounding heritage. Conservation officers have advised that the impact to the area is reduced by placing the two-storey school hall at the front of the site. The remaining buildings are single-storey to minimise intrusiveness. The site also benefits from a number of trees, which act as a screen to the buildings.
The development of a multi-use games area has been proposed and will form a separate planning application.
Access to Orchardside will be from Bullsmoor Lane via three entry and exit points, two for vehicles and one for pedestrians. Existing vehicle parking on Bullsmoor Lane adjacent to the site will be unaffected. Cycle parking will be provided in accordance with planning policy. In addition to the existing traffic calming measures it is proposed that a raised table be installed to provide a safe place for school users to cross.
View details of the planning application
Demolition of existing buildings and enabling work are being undertaken by Randall Contracting. For more information, contact them on 020 3780 3943.