Pick Everard celebrates progress made at Greenwich SEN school

Due to open in spring 2026, Rowan Wood school will accommodate 128 pupils, with autism aged 11-19.

The three buildings, each two-storey high, will include 16 teaching classrooms and two practical teaching classrooms. There will also be a large occupational therapy room and three sensory rooms.

Leading the project delivery for the Royal Borough of Greenwich are multi-disciplinary specialists Pick Everard, providing project management, cost management, and building and construction safety services via the Crown Commercial Service Construction Professional Services framework, working in close collaboration with contractor Galliford Try and architects Haverstock.

To mark the latest milestone, councillors, the headteacher, the project team, and invited students visited the site. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to symbolise the completion of the sample classroom and celebrate the success of the project so far.

Simon Hembury, associate director of project management at Pick Everard, said: “Reaching this stage is a result of close collaboration between the project team, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Compass Partnership of Schools, and wider stakeholders involved in the project. The first modular block, is just one example of the care and thought going into every detail of the build, from accessibility to specialist learning resources catering to the needs of the pupils and staff.”

Gavin Bridge, Managing Director, Galliford Try Building Southern, commented: “This event represents an important milestone in our shared commitment to delivering an outstanding SEN school. It has been a privilege to collaborate with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Compass Partnership of Schools and our partners to bring the vision of Rowan Wood school to life. The unveiling of the first classroom not only marks significant progress in the construction journey but also offers a glimpse into the positive impact the new school will have on the children and young people, teaching staff and local community.”

Targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating, the building incorporates a rooftop solar PV array and has been designed to optimise energy performance, supporting Greenwich’s wider sustainability goals. Helping maintain quality and efficient standards of delivery, offsite construction methods were used to construct the new school, with transport routes carefully determined to deliver goods and materials to the site.

Councillor Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Demand for SEND support has never been higher, and it's only going to increase. Too many children are having to travel to high cost placements out of the borough. That’s why we’re stepping up with new schools and new facilities that will lead the way in what local specialist support can look like.”

The school is on schedule to be completed by spring 2026 and, once handed over, will be operated by The Compass Partnership of Schools, further increasing specialist provision in the borough to meet growing demand.

Ross Silcock, Headteacher at Rowan Wood, commented: “Children and staff were incredibly excited to learn that the first Rowan Wood classroom had been completed and are looking forward to visiting the new school building. Currently based at Willow Dene School, the children have had a fantastic start to Year 7 at Rowan Wood. They have been making new friends and building positive relationships with staff. The children have embarked on their Key Stage 3 curriculum journey which is focused on enabling them to become active learners, moving towards independence, autonomy, control and choice."