Victorian Grade II Listed former Central London District School, known as the ‘Cuckoo Schools", Hanwell Community Centre was ‘home’ to up to 1500 pauper children from inner London from 1857 to 1933. The community celebrated "160 years of a community legacy: 1857- 2017" with a 3 month long exhibition in 2017.

The Cuckoo Schools opened in 1857, formed by the Metropolitan Poor Law Unions of the City of London: St Saviour’s Southwark and East London. Designed to be self-sufficient they boasted large kitchens, a laundry, workshops and an infirmary, as well as advanced engineering to provide for all hot and cold water and drainage. Later, in 1876, farm buildings and agricultural land were acquired to provide agricultural training for pupils and produce for the school.

The tower clock was inserted in 1879. It was built and installed by H & E Gaydon of Brentford. An additional 3,500 gallon water tank was also installed.

Tours of the building are organised on request, a few times a year.

The 5 storey building and its surrounding Cuckoo Park were registered as an Asset of Community Value in 2015 with the park a Registered Village Green since 1994.

The building today: the surviving central block, (including remaining sections of the east and west wings), clock tower, dining hall, chapel and basements of the former Cuckoo Schools. Various modernisation phases have taken place since the closure of the "Cuckoo Schools" in 1933 but only minor changes to the interior layout. Parts of the basement are still in the same condition as they were 164 years ago.
Charlie Chaplin is the most famous pupil of the former "Cuckoo Schools" which he attended from 1896-98.

In 2021, this is a mixed use community building with arts and crafts studios such as pottery, upholstery and drawing and painting, educational facilities, performance and entertainment space, a cafe, offices for charities and local service providers to the community , with various sports practiced there daily.
A live music venue "The Hanwell Cavern" has been set up in the basement by the Hanwell Community Centre Consortium to build on the strong music heritage of the building.
The building' s strong association with music goes back to the Cuckoo Schools' bands. It also counts Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Marsha Hunt, The Faces, The Who and Uriah Heep, who all practiced in the building. Many also performed concerts there such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Procol Harum.
Local bands and musicians have recently taken to the stage in "The Hanwell Cavern" and performed for the community.