Richmond's planned Social, Emotional & Mental Health needs (SEMH) special school, the London River Academy, will not open until 2027, further delaying the project. The Richmond Schools Forum received the update at their meeting on Thursday, 3 July 2025.
The London River Academy project, which is being led by the Department for Education (DfE), has been delayed multiple times. The school was originally planned to open in 2019.
In the interim, the Beckmead Trust will temporarily operate a small four-class base at Nelson School starting in September 2025. To accommodate current Year 7 students moving into Year 8, a new Year 7 class will be added. Discussions are in progress with SEND services to assess the potential requirement for a third additional class.