Hammersmith SEN Primary School Transformation 2026

Key Points

• 14-week refurbishment: United Infrastructure has launched a 14-week transformation project across Brackenbury Primary School and Wormholt Park Primary School in Hammersmith & Fulham.
• Specialist Inclusion Base: The initiative will convert former mainstream classrooms into dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) teaching spaces.
• Council-funded development: The infrastructure upgrade is fully funded by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF).
• Bespoke sensory facilities: Works include installing DMX lighting systems, acoustic ceilings, safety padding, tactile equipment, and accessible wet room adaptations.
• Local leadership endorsement: Executive Head Teacher David Collins confirmed the investment ensures local children with additional needs can remain supported within their immediate community.

Hammersmith & Fulham (West London News) August 6, 2026 – A major 14-week infrastructure project has officially commenced across two primary schools in the London Borough of fulham/hammersmith/">Hammersmith & Fulham to establish high-specification Special Educational Needs (SEN) facilities. United Infrastructure, a nationwide provider of critical infrastructure and property services, has been appointed to deliver the overhaul at Brackenbury Primary School and Wormholt Park Primary School during the summer recess. Funded entirely by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF), the project converts traditional classroom layouts into a new Specialist Inclusion Base. The development is structured to expand local SEN provision, enabling children with complex learning, communication, and emotional needs to receive tailored educational support while remaining integrated within their local school communities.

What facilities are being delivered at Brackenbury and Wormholt Park Primary Schools?

As outlined in the official project specifications released by United Infrastructure, the 14-week programme involves extensive internal remodelling to transform conventional educational rooms into specialized learning and sensory environments. The physical works encompass a broad suite of architectural, mechanical, structural, and electrical upgrades designed specifically to meet statutory accessibility and sensory regulation standards.

Key technical and physical elements of the build include:

• Sensory and Lighting Architecture: Installation of bespoke interactive equipment, sensory-stimulating installations, light walls, bubble lamps, tactile boards, and full DMX dynamic lighting systems.
• Acoustic and Safety Engineering: Fitting of specialized acoustic ceiling systems and high-grade wall treatments to attenuate noise levels, alongside soft-impact protective wall padding and heavy-duty safety flooring.
• Sanitary and Accessibility Adaptations: Construction of fully accessible wet room facilities, specialized WC adaptations, and modified access routes to accommodate physical mobility requirements.
• Structural Remodelling: Reconfiguration of interior floor plans to build dedicated small-group teaching rooms, sensory regulation areas, and one-to-one breakout spaces.
• Security and M&E Upgrades: Full overhaul of mechanical and electrical (M&E) infrastructure, integration of modernized fire alarm systems, and installation of electronic access control and door-entry systems.

These physical adaptations are tailored to counteract the environmental stressors found in standard learning environments. Traditional classroom arrangements, characterized by ambient noise, static lighting, and rigid spatial boundaries, often present severe cognitive and sensory overstimulation for neurodivergent children. By integrating adjustable light environments and acoustic damping, the new facility permits tailored regulation for pupils experiencing sensory overload or communication barriers.

Why are sensory classrooms becoming central to local authority educational strategy?

The implementation of dedicated Specialist Inclusion Bases reflects an evolving approach within UK primary education toward early intervention and local SEN integration. Sensory classrooms serve dual functions within primary settings: acting both as specialized instructional areas and as designated spaces for emotional regulation and sensory breaks.

By utilizing dynamic lighting, tactile resources, and sound-managed zones, educators can tailor interventions to individual pupil profiles. These controlled environments facilitate multi-sensory learning, aid motor skills development, and improve communication pathways for pupils who find conventional classroom setups inaccessible. Rather than relying on out-of-borough placements or segregated special schools, local provision allows pupils to access specialized therapeutic infrastructure without being removed from mainstream peer environments.

Addressing the launch of the physical works, David Collins, Executive Head Teacher at Brackenbury Primary School, highlighted the strategic value of the borough-funded project:

“We are delighted the London Borough Hammersmith & Fulham have funded the creation of a new specialist inclusion base at Brackenbury, this represents a significant investment in the future of children with additional needs in Hammersmith & Fulham. Every child deserves an environment where they feel safe, understood and able to thrive, and these new facilities will provide high-quality spaces designed specifically to support learning, communication and wellbeing.

“This project reflects our commitment to ensuring that every child has access to the right provision to meet their needs while remaining part of their local community. We are grateful to LBHF and United Infrastructure for working closely with us to bring this vision to life and look forward to welcoming pupils into these new learning environments later this year.”

Background of the particular development

The infrastructure initiative at Brackenbury Primary School and Wormholt Park Primary School occurs amidst nationwide pressure on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision across England. Local authorities face sustained demand for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), alongside severe constraints on capital budgets and local placement capacities. Historically, a shortage of in-borough specialist places has forced local councils to rely on independent or out-of-borough special school placements, which frequently entail high annual tuition costs and substantial transport expenditures.

To mitigate these systemic pressures, the Department for Education (DfE) and local councils across Greater London have increasingly prioritized capital investments in “in-borough” specialist hubs and resourced provisions within mainstream primary schools. By repurposing existing school footprints—such as former mainstream classrooms—into Specialist Inclusion Bases, local authorities can increase specialist seat capacity at a fraction of the cost of constructing new special schools.

The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham’s capital funding for the Brackenbury and Wormholt Park sites represents a direct local execution of this strategy. By establishing dedicated sensory and adaptive infrastructure within established neighborhood primary schools, the borough secures long-term capacity for local children requiring moderate-to-high levels of learning support, aligning local physical infrastructure with national inclusion frameworks.

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Prediction: How this development can affect local families and school communities

The delivery of the Specialist Inclusion Base across Brackenbury and Wormholt Park Primary Schools is set to generate direct operational and socio-economic outcomes for several key stakeholder groups across the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.

Impact on Pupils with Special Educational Needs: Children assigned to the new base will gain immediate access to specialized sensory regulation and tailored academic spaces, reducing school-related anxiety and cognitive overstimulation. The presence of adaptive lighting, soundproofing, and tactile equipment provides the physical conditions necessary for emotional regulation, likely leading to improved learning engagement, enhanced communication development, and reduced absence rates among neurodivergent pupils.

Impact on Families and Carers: For local parents and carers, the expansion of in-borough SEN provision provides critical continuity. Securing an out-of-borough placement often requires families to navigate long daily commutes and fragmented community connections. Providing specialist facilities within local neighborhood primary schools minimizes travel times, reduces domestic stress, and allows families to remain firmly embedded within their immediate community networks.

Impact on Mainstream School Staff and Pupils: The introduction of dedicated inclusion infrastructure alters the wider operational environment of both primary schools. Mainstream teaching staff will benefit from on-site specialist breakout spaces, alleviating pressure on standard classroom management when pupils require immediate sensory breaks or targeted one-to-one support. Concurrently, neurotypical pupils will experience daily interaction within an inclusive educational environment, fostering peer-level understanding of neurodiversity from an early age.

Impact on Local Authority Budgetary Planning: From a municipal administrative perspective, expanding internal SEN capacity offers long-term financial predictability for the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. By retaining pupils within local authority-maintained schools rather than funding independent sector fees and specialized passenger transport, LBHF can optimize its high-needs budget allocation, sustaining long-term capital investments across the borough’s wider educational network.