The proposed Queensmill Satellite Provision at Sulivan Primary School

Ormiston Queensmill Academy (OQMA) is an established autism-specific special school in Shepherds Bush. The school is heavily over-subscribed with 246 students on roll, located at the main site at Askham Road, with two existing satellites at Fulham Primary School and Fulham Cross Academy respectively. OQMA, has a dedicated staff workforce, all highly trained in autism, focusing exclusively on the condition, in purpose-built facilities at each of its specialist sites. 

Queensmill is the main Autism specific special school in Hammersmith & Fulham. The school currently supports 146 children and young people at the main Queensmill Site, 32 places at the Fulham Primary Satellite, and 62 places at the Fulham Cross Satellite.   

Queensmill School Primary Satellite Provision 

The Queensmill Satellite at Fulham Primary School offers places to pupils in Year 1 to Year 6 who benefit from integrating with mainstream pupils for part of the school day.     

The Hammersmith & Fulham SEND Sufficiency Reviews shows an increasing trend in the number of children and young people who require a low-arousal, highly structured environment adapted for autistic children with significant sensory challenges. The age group of this cohort is also showing an increasing requirement for places at young ages.    

Hammersmith & Fulham Council are currently delivering an ambitious Special School Organisation Plan to provide new Special Education Needs (SEN) Units and Additionally Resourced Provisions (ARPs) to meet the needs of autistic pupils who benefit from inclusion with mainstream pupils.     

To support the recent developments, the Queensmill Satellite Primary provision is being refocussed to meet the needs of pupils who do not benefit from mainstream inclusion to support local placements to meet the growing need for specialist Autism places. Pupils who benefit from mainstream inclusion will be supported in the  proposed SEN Units and ARPs.  

The proposed Queensmill Satellite Provision at Sulivan Primary School   

 The creation of a new primary Satellite at Sullivan primary school is proposed to support 20 pupils from the September 2025 Academic Year and 40 pupils from September 2026 in the Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) and Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2).     

The proposed Queensmill Satellite Provision at Sulivan Primary School is intended to deliver the following:   

  • create a better offer for children by providing early intervention in a specialist setting to prevent children being retained in Nursery for longer periods.   
  • create a better offer for children by building in an opportunity to transfer to a mainstream Unit at the end of KS1 where this is appropriate.   
  • create a different feel from the Askham Road site which will better meet the needs of parents who can find placement at Queensmill with older children a challenge at the early stages of their child’s diagnosis journey.   
  • support the vision on Queensmill School to create a better segmentation of children across the breadth of their provision and consequently, better prepare children for their adult life.   
  • the need for Queensmill Satellites to provide places for an increasing number of younger pupils including the EYFS age range, nursery and Reception.  
  • the physical environment at Fulham Primary School is not suitable for the refocussed Queensmill Satellite cohort as the age and needs of these pupils requires a free flow environment between indoor and outdoor space which cannot be achieved at Fulham Primary School.    

Planned and managed transition    

The proposed plan is to manage the transition of the Queensmill Fulham Primary Satellite provision over the next two academic years. The Queensmill Fulham Primary Satellite Provision will support 30 pupils in 2025/26 and 17 pupils in 2026/27. The transition to the Sulivan Satellite is expected to be completed by the end of the 2026/27 year. The Hammersmith & Fulham EHC Casework Team, Queensmill School and or the relevant placing Local Authority will work to develop plans jointly with parents or carers.     

The proposed Queensmill Sulivan Satellite provision will run in parallel with the Fulham Primary Satellite. The Sulivan Satellite is proposed to open with 20 pupils in the 2025/26 academic year and reach the full 40 capacity by 2026/27.   

The consultation 

We are holding a formal consultation to gather feedback on the proposal. The consultation will run for three weeks, from Tuesday 24th June 2025 to Monday 14th July. To gather feedback and answer any questions, we are holding consultation meetings at the following times: 

  • Monday 30th June at 3:15 at Ormiston Queensmill Academy – for Staff 
  • Tues 1st July at 3:15 Fulham Primary School, Halford Road, London SW6 3AA – for parents, carers and wider stakeholders

You can also share your feedback through the consultation response form here, or by collecting and submitting a printed copy available at the reception.

How long will the consultation last and who will make the final decision? 

The consultation will last three weeks, from Tuesday 24th June until Monday 14th July. At the end of the consultation we will collect the responses and produce a report which we will send to the Department for Education (DfE). The DfE will make the final decision. 

What is a Satellite provision? 

A Satellite provision is an extension of a special school located on the site of a mainstream school. The Satellite provides the same specialist provision as the main special school site.  

What facilities will the Satellite have? 

The physical environment at the Satellite will be purpose-built for autism, based on the design and characteristics at the main Queensmill School site, to achieve a low-arousal, highly structured environment adapted for autistic children with significant sensory challenges. The high staff to pupil ratio will be the same as for the main Queensmill School site. Children will receive Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Educational Psychology input in the same way as children on the main Queensmill School site. 

There will be four classrooms and dedicated indoor and outdoor space for all activities, including lunch and playtimes.  

Will children in the Satellite mix with mainstream school pupils? 

No. Children in the Satellite will receive the same high quality special school experience as children at the main Queensmill School site. They will be on roll at Queensmill School and will wear Queensmill School uniform.  

Where is the Satellite located on the mainstream school site? 

The Satellite will be in its own dedicated space which will be clearly separated from the mainstream school building.  

Will there be building works? Will my child’s education be disrupted? 

Building work is planned to take place before the start of term. Children’s education will be prioritised and any remaining building work will take place without disrupting learning.  

Is money being spent on the Satellite which could be spent elsewhere in the school? 

Following a review of SEND in our borough, Hammersmith & Fulham Council have specifically set aside a budget for setting up provisions in the borough in line with the needs identified in the review. If we decided not to set up the Satellite, we would not receive that money to spend elsewhere in our school as it is exclusively for SEND provision across the borough in line with the review.  

Who will work in the provision? 

All staff who work with children in the Satellite will be recruited, trained and employed by Queensmill School in the same way as the staff on the main Queensmill School site.  

Will there be a change to the Admissions policy? 

No. As the Satellite is an extension of Queensmill School, pupil admission to the Satellite will follow the same process as admission the Queensmill main site. 

Pupils who are of the correct age range for the Satellite, will automatically be placed at the Satellite provision if they are offered a space in Queensmill School.  

Who is the Satellite for, and how can my child access it? 

The Satellite will have space for 40 pupils with a primary need of complex autism who are offered a place at Queensmill School. Pupils who are offered a place at Queensmill School will automatically be placed in the Satellite if they are in the correct age range.  

Can my child transition out of the Satellite? 

Yes. Placements will be reviewed in line with the Annual Review process for children with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) and can be changed if the Satellite is no longer required or no longer meets the pupil’s needs.  

My child attends Fulham Primary Satellite, how will they be affected? 

The current plan is for Fulham Primary Satellite to fully transition to the Sulivan Satellite Provision in July 2027. 

Most pupils who currently attend the Fulham Primary Satellite will not be affected. Pupils in Fulham Primary Satellite who start Year 3 or Year 4 in September 2025 will transition out of the provision in July 2027.   If your child does not benefit from inclusion with mainstream peers for any part of the school day, you will be able to express a preference for Queensmill main school site or for another special school. If your child does benefits from inclusion for any part of the school day, you will be able to express a preference for a new autism Unit or Additionally Resourced Provision.