Haringey Council has approved a plan to transform the St Mary's Infant School site into a resource provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The move aims to create 34 key stage 3 and 4 places for Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) support, operated as a satellite site by Park View Secondary School. The new resource provision will offer targeted support for pupils with SEMH, keeping them in mainstream schools.
The decision, made at a Cabinet Member Signing meeting on Monday, 18 August 2025, follows the council securing £7 million in funding from the Department for Education (DfE) as part of the Safety Valve Programme. Additional contributions of £3.2 million from the Haringey North Primary Care Alliance (HNPCA) and £2.2 million from other local authorities bring the total investment to £12.4 million.
The funding agreement involves the London Diocesan Board for Schools (LDBS) surrendering its rights and interests in the St Mary's Church Lane Infant site. In return, Haringey Council will provide funding for the expansion of the St Mary's Junior School Site at Rectory Road, allowing infant pupils to relocate and enabling the council to develop the SEND provision. The LDBS has confirmed that the remaining balance for the development costs for the completion of the works at the Rectory Road Site will be provided by the Grieg Trust and are not solely relying on the agreed funding.
The council's report pack stated that a failure to proceed with the project could increase pressure on the high needs block, leading to students being placed out of borough at a high cost. An alternative option of procuring a new build was discounted due to a high-cost analysis, estimating £6 million based on feasibility studies. The use of the St Mary's Infant site was considered better value for money than building a new facility, assuming sufficient space was available elsewhere. Contingency has been set aside for the reconfiguration of the Infant's site at Church Lane for SEN use. The main internal works to be undertaken are the replacement of existing toilets with age-appropriate facilities, new furniture for older pupils, and additional door access controls throughout. The playground equipment will need to be removed, and the surfaces made good. The overall fabric of the building is in good condition, but there may be some items that require replacement or improvement; hence the contingency being held.
The council anticipates significant cost avoidance with the new provision. The report pack stated that the new provision at St Marys Church of England Primary (run by Park View) once scaled will provide an avoidance between 27/28 and 28/29 of £1,757,457. This figure has been calculated once the Councils placement costs are deducted, and the mobilisation payment provided to Park View in the initial scaling up period. This cost avoidance alone covers the cost of the site surrender. The St Marys site has further potential for cost avoidance in future years to scale up from 34 places to 42 which provides further flexibility within the system if required.
The council's interests are protected through the surrender of the Church Lane Site upon signing the funding agreement, including the caretaker's house. The council will then grant a licence back to the school to remain on the site. The first instalment of funding will be released subject to conditions to enable the LDBS to complete pre-application work. The remaining funding will be released monthly based on evidence of completed works, with a retention paid upon complete vacation of the Church Lane Site.
The LDBS has confirmed that the remaining balance for the development costs at the Rectory Road Site will be provided by the Grieg Trust.
The council has set a zero-carbon deadline of 2027 for core council operational buildings and transport-related activities, and 2041 for other buildings from which the council delivers services, such as schools. This will apply to the resource provisions outlined in this cabinet report.
The Equality Impact Assessment stated that the resource provision would have a positive impact on the community and young people in the west of the borough, providing targeted support for pupils with SEMH while keeping them in mainstream schools. The report highlights the increase in pupils with SEMH west of the borough, with wards such as Fortis Green, Alexandra Park and Muswell Hill that saw an increase of 221%, 140% and 188% between 2020 and 2025, respectively.
Prior to this decision, the project team mobilised a moderation group comprising of independent representatives from our local Integrated Care Board, parent, and carer representatives from SEND Power, and colleagues from Haringey's Capital Projects and Property team.
The agenda stated that item 8, the Exempt Legal Agreement between Haringey Council and St Marys Infant School , was likely to be subject to a motion to exclude the press and public due to containing exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972, specifically relating to financial or business affairs and information subject to legal professional privilege.
The objectives of the Safety Valve programme align with the priorities within Haringey's Corporate Delivery Plan 2024-2026, specifically Theme 3: Children and young people, and contribute to Haringey's SEND Strategy 2022-2025 and Early Years Strategy 2022-2026.