The opening of a new private Secondary school at Kneller Hall, former home to the Royal Military School of Music, has been delayed for a year.

A hold-up in getting planning permission for the ambitious scheme, which includes a new teaching block and sports halls, mean the senior school will not open this coming September as originally hoped.

The Kneller Hall transformation is being led by Dukes Education which is making a massive investment in private education in Richmond borough. Credit: Dukes Education.

The scheme has received huge support from the local community, particularly sports clubs, who hope to be able to use the pitches and some other facilities.

The Kneller Hall transformation is being led by Dukes Education which is making a massive investment in private education in Richmond borough.

It currently owns and operates the Radnor House school, which educates children aged 9-18 at Pope's Villa on the riverside at Cross Deep, Twickenham.

The plan is to massively expand its senior school up to around 1,000 pupils who would occupy a transformed Kneller Hall – the magnificent Grade II listed building which sits on a 30 acre site.

At the same time, it plans to keep Pope's Villa, which would be used as a new Prep school for children aged 2-11, which would act as a feeder to Kneller Hall.

It was originally hoped that much of the senior school would move to Kneller Hall this September, so creating space at Pope's Villa for the Prep school. However this will not now be possible because of delays in getting planning permission.

The founder and chairman of Dukes Education, Aatif Hassan, has described the scheme for Kneller Hall as 'hugely exciting'. Credit: Dukes Education.

The senior school will now move to Kneller Hall in September 2024, while Dukes Education has found an alternative site for the new Radnor Prep school for the academic year starting this autumn.

The alternative site, which is on Kew Foot Road, opposite Richmond Athletic Ground, is currently home to Falcons Prep.

Separately, Nub News has learned that Dukes Education has purchased the Whitton Sports Ground fields, previously known as the Old Latymerians Sports Ground, off Wills Crescent.

The school will have expansive sports fields. Credit: Dukes Education.

These are currently used by a wide range of local football, rugby and cricket clubs. The purchase secures these facilities for community use, while also providing further sports facilities for children attending the new extended schools.

The founder and chairman of Dukes Education, Aatif Hassan, has described the scheme for Kneller Hall as 'hugely exciting'.

On the planning process, he told Nub News: "We have submitted all documentation and awaiting a date for when our application will be discussed.

"I remain hopeful and confident, based on the advice of our professional advisers and successful pre-app meetings, we will achieve planning in the summer term. As such, we expect the senior school to move in September 2024.

"We would have liked to have moved earlier to give our young people access to the 30 acres of ground and also, importantly, open up the site and facilities to the wider community. We have received so much support from local residents and community sports club, so I am looking forward to welcoming them to Kneller Hall very soon."

An overview of the proposed landscape. Credit: Dukes Education.

He added: "If we had been granted planning permission earlier, we would have moved the school in September 2023 into part of the site and utilised temporary structures.

"The benefit of that would have been give our young people and the local community sports club access to the playing fields and more space. However, now we will move when the site is finished and fully developed in September 2024."

Explaining what will happen with the new Radnor Prep school, he said: "The opportunity to acquire 41 Kew Foot Road site clearly presented us with an opportunity which we were not expecting and allows to provide more space for prep pupils. There is greater outside space and it is a large (16,000 Sq ft) purpose built prep school site."

He added: "We have written to current and prospective parents with our proposed plan.

"Kneller Hall School presents a unique opportunity for pupils in south west London and as a result we have received very strong interest in our prep school."

In a separate development, he said: "The school have also acquired Whitton Sports Ground in Wills Crescent near Kneller Hall. This preserves the future of playing fields and pavilion for the local sporting clubs, who are delighted.

"In the coming years, we will utilise the grounds in the daytime for the pupils at Kneller Hall School and Radnor Prep School.

"Whitton Sports Ground gives Kneller Hall School even more opportunity to extend the co-curricular programme and extend the range of sports we can offer. It is also another opportunity to support the local community as well."

The Kneller Hall scheme includes restoring the listed building as well as constructing a three-storey teaching block plus a new sports hall, incorporating a swimming pool and sports pavilion.

It will see the old Guardroom building converted into a stand-alone music centre, while the Band Stand will be renovated.

Significantly, the Band Practice Hall is to be converted into a theatre with seating for 275 and there will also be an outdoor performance amphitheatre.

Sport will be at the centre of the ambitious scheme, which is within a stone's throw of Twickenham stadium. There will be rugby and football pitches, along with an astroturf hockey pitch, tennis courts and a basketball court.