A new 40-place special educational needs (SEN) unit at a primary school in Lewisham is helping to educate children closer to home and reduce disruption caused by long-distance travel, according to a council cabinet member.
New SEN Unit at Deptford Park Primary School
The unit, designed for children with severe learning difficulties (SLD), welcomed its first 12 pupils last month (May 2026) at Deptford Park Primary School. A second cohort is expected to join in September 2026. Part of the school has been adapted and refurbished to accommodate the unit, which will eventually cater for up to 40 pupils across four to five classrooms. The school also contributed to funding the new facility.
Council's Commitment to Local SEND Provision
Cllr Rotimi Skyers, Cabinet Member for Children, SEND, Youth Empowerment and Culture at Lewisham Council, provided an update on the unit to the Mayor of Lewisham, Liam Shrivastava, and Cabinet on Wednesday (June 10). He described the unit as an "important step" towards improving SEND provision in the borough and a "strong example" of delivering on the council's commitment to expanding high-quality local services.
Skyers noted: "We know that the demand for support, particularly for children with significant cognitive and communication needs, is rising. While our mainstream schools still work incredibly hard to be inclusive, they cannot always meet these complex needs in busy classroom environments. This unit helps with that, providing specialist classrooms and skilled staff in a tailored environment, while still keeping children connected to their local community. Critically, it means more children can be educated closer to home, reducing long travel times and the disruption that comes with out-of-borough placements."
Rising Demand for Specialist Support
A Cabinet report highlighted that Lewisham has seen an increase in young learners with significant needs joining mainstream schools, particularly those with challenges related to cognition, learning, communication, and interaction.
SEND Reform Implementation Plan
Later in the meeting, Cllr Skyers presented the council's SEND Reform Implementation Plan, which outlines how the borough will implement national SEND reforms locally. The council must submit its plan by June 19. If approved by the Secretary of State for Education, it will be rolled out over three years, extending to 2030. The plan pledges to offer more local support, greater choice for children with SEND and their families, earlier intervention, and a more integrated system where education, health, and care services collaborate closely.
The new SEN unit at Deptford Park Primary School is a key part of creating more options for Lewisham families to meet their children's needs.
Collaborative Approach
Cllr Rudi Schmidt, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Economic Development, acknowledged the challenges families with SEND children have faced: "We know the pain and difficulties that our families, both parents and children who have SEND, have gone through navigating the system and getting the support they need. So we want to work really closely with schools, headteachers, parents, children, and SENCOs to shape our SEND offer going forward."
The recommendations were agreed in both the report on the new SEN unit and the council's SEND Reform Implementation Plan.
