Southwark has approved moving Beormund Primary to a new Peckham building on Reedham Street, with 21 extra special school places. It opens in January 2027.
Beormund Primary School will move from Bermondsey to a new building in Peckham and grow from 35 places to 56. Southwark Council’s Executive agreed the move on 13 October, and the minutes confirming it were published on 6 November.
The new school is on the former Bellenden Primary School site, Reedham Street, SE15 4PQ. The council’s full proposal gives the opening date as 4 January 2027, the start of the spring term.
The draft minutes record the decision in one line: “That the proposals to relocate and expand the Beormund Special Primary School be agreed.” The deadline for a call-in was 11.59pm on 22 October.
Why the borough needs the places
Beormund is a community special school for children aged 5 to 11 with social, emotional and mental health needs. Ofsted rated it Outstanding in June 2024. Its current building on Crosby Row, SE1, has 38 pupils in space commissioned for 35.
It is not the only one. The council’s report to the Executive shows all four of Southwark’s primary special schools with more pupils than places:
| School | Places | Pupils |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Garden | 110 | 116 |
| Haymerle | 70 | 78 |
| Spa Camberwell | 50 | 56 |
| Beormund | 35 | 38 |
| Total | 265 | 288 |
The council’s modelling expects the gap to grow to 58 places by 2031, a 22% shortfall. When there is no local place, the report says, children can end up in independent provision with “long daily travel times that are not in the best interests of the child”.
The 21 extra places at Beormund close most of today’s gap of 23. They do not close the 2031 one.
What the consultation raised
The statutory consultation ran from 3 September to 1 October. 17 of the 19 people who took part backed the move, according to the report. One was unsure and one gave no view.
The concerns raised included transport for families whose journey changes, parking and drop-off in the streets around Reedham Street, security, staffing and the loss of swimming. On swimming, the council said only that it and the school “are exploring alternative arrangements”.
What happens next
- The building: a £14.9m contract for the new school was awarded to Neilcott in May 2025, as we reported in August.
- The move: the council’s Children’s Services will work with the school and families to plan it, with the new school open to pupils in January 2027, the report says.
- The last check: the Church of England diocesan board and the Roman Catholic bishop can refer the decision to the Schools Adjudicator within four weeks of it being made.
What it means for you
If your child is at Beormund. The school moves to Reedham Street, Peckham, for the spring term. Ask the school about transport and swimming, the two questions the consultation left open.
If you are waiting for a special school place. The new building adds 21 primary places for children with social, emotional and mental health needs. The council’s own figures say demand will still outstrip places by 2031.
If you live near Reedham Street or Bellenden Road. Expect school-run traffic from January. Parking and drop-off were among the concerns raised, and the report does not set out a traffic plan.
Sources
- Executive, 13 October 2026: agenda, reports and draft minutes, Southwark Council; minutes published 6 November 2026, item 8.
- Report: Relocation of Beormund Special School, dated 2 October 2026, for the capacity table, the 2031 forecast and the consultation result.
- Appendix 2: Full Proposal for the new address and opening date.
- Ofsted: Beormund Primary School.
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