Havering Council's ambitious £2.8 million project to expand RJ Mitchell Primary School, including the creation of a new nursery and the expansion of a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) unit, has officially gone out to tender.
The Cabinet approved the plans at their meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, following a consultation period where a significant majority of respondents supported both proposals. The decision is detailed in the Public reports pack for the meeting.
The new school-based nursery will provide 18 places for children aged two to four, funded by grants from the Department for Education and the Local Authority. This expansion aims to address a deficit of childcare places of 2, 3 and 4 year old children within the Elm Park ward,
according to the Childcare Sufficiency Report. The Local Authority considers that the 18 place nursery implementation will balance the need for additional places without having a detrimental effect on the local providers,
adding that The additional places will help address unmet demand rather than displace children currently attending other provisions.
The expansion of the SEND unit will increase capacity from 21 to 50 places, funded by the Department for Education's High Needs Capital Grant. This is in response to the Council's SEND projections, which show an expected increase in the number of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan over the next five years. Specifically, a projected 77% increase in children with Communication and Interaction needs is anticipated from 2024/25 to 2028/29, with additional primary C&I SEND Units are required to meet the growing number of primary school aged pupils with C&I needs.
Building costs for the SEND unit expansion are estimated at £2.4 million, with the nursery costing an estimated £390,000. Both provisions are expected to operate within their allocated revenue funding streams, ensuring no additional unfunded budget pressures for the school or the Council. The expanded provision is expected to be delivered within the revenue funding generated through the SEND funding framework. Given the school's current deficit position, staffing and operational costs will need to be managed appropriately and remain proportionate to pupil need, occupancy levels and available funding. No ongoing additional financial support from the Council is assumed within this proposal, meaning the projected long-term impact is expected to be neutral.
Concerns raised during the consultation regarding the need for additional provision, impact on existing providers, parking, and the school's current capacity were addressed by officers. They confirmed that the proposals would meet identified shortfalls and that operational arrangements would be carefully managed.
The Cabinet also delegated authority to the Director of Starting Well to award the contract once the tendering process is complete. Tender submissions will be evaluated against published criteria, including price and quality, to ensure that the successful contractor has the necessary experience, capacity and capability to deliver the works safely, effectively and within the available budget.
Following completion of the tender evaluation, the outcome will be reviewed through the Council's internal governance arrangements before contract award.
More information on the Cabinet's decisions can be found in the Public reports pack 16th-Sep-2026 19.00 Cabinet.