Kneller Hall’s principal Amy Cavilla and head Stephen Carrington

Dukes Education has secured approval of a planning application to redevelop Kneller Hall into a 30-acre school campus in Twickenham, Southwest London. The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames council’s decision means the work to transform Kneller Hall will begin in the autumn.

Previously home to the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall will become the new location for Dukes Education’s Radnor House School in Twickenham and will become the company’s first purpose-built school in the UK. A former guard room and band practice hall will be retained as part of the new school, while other buildings on the site will be demolished as part of the scheme.

Facilities will include a sports centre with outdoor pitches, performing arts and outdoor learning spaces, new science laboratories, design and technology classrooms, a swimming pool, a forest school and a nature reserve. More than half the campus is designated as Metropolitan Open Land, which means it must be retained as green space.

Dukes Education’s founder and chairman Aatif Hassan said: “We are incredibly excited that the work on Kneller Hall can begin in earnest now. It is a privilege to be able to develop this historic building – such a well-loved landmark in the Whitton and Twickenham area – and to build on its educational heritage, first as a training school for teachers and then as the Royal Military School of Music. The school and its grounds will be great for families in the local area, and we look forward to creating deeper links with the community. I would like to thank our parents, students, staff and the local community for their patience during the planning process.”

The principal of Kneller Hall School, Amy Cavilla, commented: “I am thrilled that this ambitious project now has the green light. Kneller Hall will provide students with a modern education in a historic setting and will put air under the wings of the successful foundations that have been laid at Radnor House School. We promote a values-based approach that puts kindness and compassion high on the agenda and use encouragement rather than pressure to achieve success. Our priority now is to proceed with our plans as efficiently as possible so that we are ready to move into our new home in Kneller Hall in September 2027.”