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Nightingale Community Academy Satellite Centre gains approval from the Department for Education

By Fiona Wilkins - January 19th, 2026 | Posted in Article

Orchard Hill College Academy Trust and Wandsworth Council are delighted to announce that the Department for Education (DfE) has approved a proposal for Nightingale Community Academy to open a new site in the borough. This expansion will help the council to meet growing local demand and provide additional places for secondary aged pupils for children with Special Education Needs (SEN).

The DfE has granted permission for Nightingale Community Academy, a well-established special school in the borough, to open a satellite site in a building which was formerly occupied by the Paddock School in Priory Lane and is now vacant. The new site will provide up to 72 co-educational secondary places in addition to the 166 places for boys at the school’s site near Wandsworth Common.  The school will meet the needs of pupils with Social Emotional and Mental Health needs at both sites.

The trust will adapt the existing facilities at Priory Lane and refurbish the site to meet the needs of the incoming cohort of pupils. The proposal is for the satellite site to open in April 2026 with three classes, and an additional class will join in September 2026 as a secondary transfer. Three more classes will be added in September 2027, and a final two classes are planned to join the school in September 2028.

Judi Gasser, Cabinet Member for Children at Wandsworth Council, said: “This new satellite site for Nightingale Community Academy is a hugely positive step for children and young people with special educational needs in Wandsworth.

“By working closely with Orchard Hill College Academy Trust, we are ensuring that more local families can access high-quality, specialist provision, including supporting girls with social, emotional, and mental health needs, closer to home.

“I’m delighted to see this much-needed expansion approved.”

Lynn Barratt, Executive Director of Development at Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust (OHC&AT) said, “This satellite site is an exciting addition to Nightingale Community Academy and will provide much needed additional spaces for pupils with Special Education Needs in Wandsworth. We are delighted to work with the council to provide a high-quality learning environment using the trust and the school’s existing expertise.”

Sarah Brooks, Interim Principal of Nightingale Community Academy, said, “The Priory Lane site will ensure Nightingale Community Academy can extend the specialist support it offers to secondary girls and provide places for a greater number of boys in the local community.”