Please find below information about a consultation that Nightingale Community Academy (NCA) undertook on a proposal to amend the funding agreement with the Department for Education (DfE) to open an additional site, to increase the planned places from 166 to 238 (166 main site and 72 satellite site), and to introduce a co-ed SEMH secondary provision.
NCA is a special school that currently provides for boys aged 5 to 19 with SEMH needs. All pupils have an Educational Health Care Plan. NCA works closely with the London Borough of Wandsworth to ensure its offer meets the local requirements and complements other local provisions.
Wandsworth Council has identified a need for more special school places to be provided locally for pupils whose needs could be met by the specialist team at NCA. It has identified a site in the borough formerly occupied by the Paddock School, which is now vacant, and could be adapted to provide places for the additional special school places.
The Council has asked Orchard Hill College Academy Trust (OHCAT) and NCA to open a satellite site and provide up to 72 secondary places for boys and girls in a phased build up over three years from Easter 2026.
As NCA is an academy, the expansion proposal would need to be approved by the DfE and we are therefore seeking the views of parents and other interested parties through this consultation to inform the DfE’s decision-making process.
The consultation was on the proposal to amend the funding agreement to open an additional site under NCA, to increase the planned places from 166 to 238 (166 main site and 72 satellite site), and to introduce a co-ed SEMH secondary provision.
The consultation period on this proposal was from Wednesday 1st October 2025 to Wednesday 22nd October 2025 and we invite you to take part in the following ways:
Public meetings where you can meet the School and Trust leadership team and ask questions, were held at:
Comments on the Proposal could be submitted in one of the following ways:
Please note the consultation closed on Wednesday 22nd October.
If you have any questions please contact the school Nightingale Community Academy, Beechcroft Road, London SW17 7DF.
Telephone: 020 8874 9096/ Email: info@nightingaleca.org
The DfE Funding agreement with Nightingale Community Academy (NCA) is for 166 pupils. The number on roll can fluctuate throughout the year, and may include some virtual learners and pupils who are taught off site.
Wandsworth Local Authority have identified a need for more special school places to be provided locally and has asked Orchard Hill College Academy Trust (OHCAT) and NCA to open a satellite site and provide up to 72 secondary places for boys and girls in a phased build up over three years from Easter 2026.
The proposal is to increase the planned places in the funding agreement from 166 to 238 (166 main site and 72 satellite site), introduce co-ed SEMH secondary provision and to include an additional site under NCA.
NCA will try to accommodate pupils as commissioned by Wandsworth wherever possible.
The Council has identified a site in the borough formerly occupied by the Paddock School on Priory Lane, which is now vacant, and could be adapted to provide the additional special school places required.
It will be a secondary transfer provision so Year 7 to Year 11
The proposal is for a co-educational satellite site that would offer places for secondary aged boys and girls.
It is not proposed for current pupils to transfer. However, there will be opportunities for pupils from the main site to access the curriculum if that meets the pupil’s need and vice versa.
Nightingale Community Academy is a special school in Wandsworth aged 5 to 19 with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an Educational Health Care Plan. This will continue to be the designation of NCA.
The curriculum offer will not change specifically because of the expansion but the school continues to review the curriculum on offer so that it is appropriate to the needs and interests of pupils. It aims to provide a curriculum that is bespoke and fit for purpose.
This is a statutory consultation, and views have been sought from interested parties including parents, staff, professionals working with the school and in the Local Authority and neighbouring boroughs. A letter and the survey have been sent to these stakeholders and the information is posted on the school and Trust websites. Stakeholders are invited to attend public meetings on Thursday 9th October at the school.
The responses to the consultation will be collated in a report that will be shared with the Department for Education. This will include a summary of responses to the questions asked and any comments that were raised.
Questions raised during the consultation will be answered during the public meetings and published in a set of FAQs which will be included in the report for the DfE and uploaded on to the school website.
The satellite site will be staffed according to the need of the young people and there will be a phased build up. A Head of Centre is currently being recruited and a recruitment campaign for teachers and support staff is planned for after the Autumn 2 half term
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