Overview
Ark Schools currently operates Ark Burlington Danes Academy, a secondary school with sixth form in White City. Ark Burlington Danes Academy is consulting on opening a unit for pupils with SEND from 1st September 2025. The proposed unit will be for up to 16 pupils across Years 7 – 11 with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) as their primary need. Places in the unit will be allocated by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
There is a strong need for more SEND provision in our borough, particularly in secondary schools. Indeed, this will be the first SLCN unit in a secondary school in our borough. Having a unit within a mainstream school offers more choice to parents and pupils about where to continue their education: while some needs can be met in a mainstream classroom, and some pupils will be more suited to a special school, those students who would most benefit from a unit in a mainstream school currently do not have that option within our borough. We are proud that Burlington Danes Academy has the ability to meet this need in – and therefore better reflect and serve – our community.
Ark Burlington Danes Academy is consulting on:
- Opening a unit for up to 16 students across Year 7- 11 with Speech, Language and Communication Needs in Ark Burlington Danes Academy from 1st September 2025.
- Adding SLCN to Ark Burlington Danes’ SEND provision and funding agreement from September 2025.
- - Varying the admissions policy to include details on the admission of students with SLCN to this provision, as allocated by the local authority in Hammersmith and Fulham.
The consultation will run from Monday 24th February until Sunday 16th March. We will be holding several consultation events where we will talk through the proposal, and welcome any questions and feedback:
- Thursday 27th February, 16.00-17.00, in person at Ark Burlington Danes Academy, Wood Lane, W12 0HU.
- Tuesday 4th March, 13.00-14.00, on Teams. Please click the following to access the meeting: link.
- Thursday 13th March, 16.00-17.00, in person at Ark Burlington Danes Academy, Wood Lane, W12 0HU.
You can also respond via the online consultation response form, or by picking up and returning a hard copy of the form from the reception at Ark Burlington Danes Academy.
Questions and Answers
How long will the consultation last and who will make the final decision?
The consultation will last three weeks, from Monday 24th February until Sunday 16th March. At the end of the consultation, we will collect responses and produce a report which we will then send to the Department for Education, who will make the final decision on the application. We hope to have a decision around Easter.
What is a unit?
Units provide a high level of specialist support to pupils who may have difficulty accessing the mainstream curriculum without adaptations. Students will spend over 50% of their time in the unit, where they will be taught using specialist teaching and learning strategies and resources. Where it is appropriate and in the best interest of the student, some time may be spent in the mainstream setting; the provision staff will regularly review if and when it is appropriate for students from the unit to spend time in the mainstream, or for other school students to join them in the unit. Pupils using the unit will share lunch and break times with their mainstream peers, though we recognise that sharing these times might be too much for some pupils, so they will have access to a calm area within the unit.
What facilities will the unit have?
We are working closely with Hammersmith and Fulham’s SLCN and SEND experts to design the space to ensure that it is the best it can be for pupils who need it. There will be two classrooms with specialist resources, designed to support our pupils’ learning, and intervention spaces for one to one or small group teaching.
Where is the provision located in the school?
The unit will be in its own distinct space within the school building.
We have selected these areas over other available space, such as the primary school building, not only because it meets spatial requirements for the provision, but also because we do not want to put the unit in a separate building , which would minimise opportunities for students to socialise and learn with their peers.
Will there be building works? Will my/my child’s education be disrupted?
There may be some small works required to make the space suitable for incoming students, alongside refreshing certain rooms in our school. All work will take place over the summer break so there will be no disruption to existing students.
Is the school losing any resources or spaces by turning them into the unit?
No, any spaces which are being repurposed as part of the provision will be reprovisioned elsewhere within the school if necessary.
Is money being spent on the provision which could be spent elsewhere in the school?
Following a review of SEND in our borough, Hammersmith and Fulham have specifically set aside a budget for setting up provisions in line with the need identified. If we decided not to set up the provision, we would not receive that money to spend elsewhere in our school as it is exclusively for SEND provision across the borough.
Who will work in the provision?
We are working out the exact staffing structure of the unit , but there will be a Head of Provision, who will be responsible for overseeing and teaching in the unit, alongside teaching assistants. The whole school will benefit from the additional expertise the unit will bring.
What does this mean for admissions and student numbers – will there be 16 less places in the mainstream?
Admissions to the specialist provision will be allocated by the local authority of Hammersmith and Fulham. The Local Authority will hold regular place planning meetings with Ark Burlington Danes Academy to review the planning list of pupils who may require this provision and which will need to take priority if there are more pupils than places. Levels of need and proximity to school compared to other suitable schools will be taken into consideration when agreeing potential placements.
The places across Years 7-11 will be in addition to the published Pupil Admission Number (PAN) for Year 7.
What changes will be made to the admissions policy?
Admissions to the specialist provision will be allocated by the local authority of Hammersmith and Fulham. If approved, the admissions policy from 2025-26 will be varied to include the following clause within section 1. iii:
From 1 September 2025, the Department of Education have approved the opening of a specialist resourced SEND provision in Ark Burlington Danes Academy for students with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). This centre is for children aged 11-16 (Year 7 – Year 11) with capacity for 16 children. The provision is for children who have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) with SLCN who require this level of provision.
PLEASE NOTE: Places at the provision will be allocated by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham’s multi-professional Special Educational Needs panel and not through the admissions arrangements in this policy.
Who is the provision for, and how can my child access it?
The provision will be for pupils who have a severe speech and/or language disorder such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). Pupils may also difficulties frequently associated with a severe speech and language disorder, such as literacy difficulties.
Pupils will require an education, health and care plan (EHCP) in order to access the provision. Placements will be made by Hammersmith & Fulham Council as part of the consultation placement for a new or amended EHCP.
Can I/my child transition out of the unit?
Yes. Placements will be reviewed in line with the Annual Review process for children with an education, health and care plan and can be changed if the Unit is no longer required or no longer meets the pupil’s needs.