Orchard Hill College Academy Trust and Slough Borough Council are delighted to announce that the Department for Education has approved a proposal for Arbour Vale School to open a new site in Slough.
This expansion will help the council meet growing local demand for special school places by offering up to 80 early years/primary places.
As a well-established special school in the local area, Arbour Vale School currently educates 375 pupils on its site on Farnham Road. This expansion will increase the school’s capacity to 455 places in a phased build up over the next two to three years.
The satellite centre will be located at the site adjacent to the existing Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary School (OLOP), Derwent Road, Slough. The vacant junior school building will be adapted to meet the needs of the SEN cohort. The extensive refurbishment will include the installation of a multi-sensory room, calming room, and soft playroom. Work is due to be completed in Spring 2026 with up to 42 pupils joining the Arbour Vale School Satellite Centre in the summer term.
Adopting the same ethos and curriculum as the main school, the Arbour Vale Satellite Centre will be led by the Arbour Vale School leadership team and supported by the Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust – a market leader in Special Education.
Councillor Dexter Smith, Leader of Slough Borough Council, said: “This is an SBC partnership project, and we are grateful to Arbour Vale School, the Diocese of Northampton and Orchard Hill College Academy Trust who have all been willing to step up to the challenge to provide additional SEN places in the borough. They have an excellent track record in this area of specialism - I am sure this project will be a great success.”
Lynn Barratt, Executive Director of Development at Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust (OHC&AT) said: “We are delighted to work with colleagues from Slough Borough Council and Our Lady of Peace on this project. This is a truly collaborative project enabling us to build on the existing expertise at Arbour Vale and offer additional high quality special education needs places in the borough.”
Neil Sykes, Principal of Arbour Vale School, said: “The Arbour Vale Satellite Centre will enable us to offer high-quality education to more pupils within the local area, while remaining one unified school community. This proposal marks an important step to ensure that every child has access to the education and support they need to thrive.”
Nick Stopps, Headteacher of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery School, said: “With the support of the Diocese of Northampton, we are delighted to contribute to this project, which will provide vital specialist educational support for children within our community, enabling them to flourish and achieve their full academic and personal potential.”