The proposed site is a council-owned building currently occupied by Chapel End Early Years Centre on Brookscroft Road, reports Marco Marcelline
Waltham Forest Council has unveiled proposals to create a new specialist school site for up to 100 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in partnership with Lime Trust.
The proposed site is a council-owned building currently occupied by Chapel End Early Years Centre on Brookscroft Road in Walthamstow. The centre is set to relocate this summer to join its partner site at Chapel End Infant School under existing plans, freeing up the building for reuse.
If approved, the site would operate as an extension of Lime Academy Hornbeam, with the school set to initially admit 40 pupils from September 2026, with numbers rising incrementally to reach full capacity of 100 places over the following three years.
The expansion forms part of the council’s statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient school places for children and young people with SEND.
The local authority says the new site would “allow more pupils to access high-quality, nurturing education close to home, helping to maintain community connections and reduce reliance on out-of-borough placements, which can mean longer travel times for families”.
Lime Academy Hornbeam currently operates across two sites. Under the proposals, it would move to a three-site model.
Lime Trust says relocating primary provision at Brookscroft Road would “create an environment tailored to younger pupils, including use of existing outdoor space to support ‘forest school-style learning’ as part of a broad and balanced curriculum”.
The council says development works would consist of minor internal adaptations to make the building suitable for specialist use, including the creation of sensory and therapeutic spaces. Work is expected to begin in summer 2026, subject to approval.
Although disruption to residents is expected to be minimal, a full transport assessment will be carried out as part of the Change of Use planning application to assess the impact on local traffic and access.
The proposals are subject to a formal consultation led by the Lime Trust, running until Thursday, 26th February 2026. The consultation is required by the Department for Education and gives residents the opportunity to provide feedback via an online survey, email or by requesting a meeting with school leaders.
Cabinet member for children and young people, Kizzy Gardiner, said: “Parents often tell us that children thrive when they are educated close to home in the local communities that know and love them.
“We are delighted to be able to open this site up to families of children with SEND and expand our school network to include 100 additional SEND places. These families will have the comfort of knowing their child is being educated nearby.
“There has been an unprecedented increase in numbers of children with SEND over recent years. This new school, led by experienced partners at the Lime Trust, will mean more children can be educated in their community. It helps support our mission to ensure every family has every opportunity in Waltham Forest.”
You can access the consultation on the plans here
No news is bad news
Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.
The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.
If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.
Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.
Monthly direct debit
Annual direct debit
£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.
More information on supporting us monthly or annually
More Information about donations
