Westonbirt holds breaking ground ceremony as work commences on new Prep School buildings
Staff and pupils at Westonbirt School celebrated today as RJ Leighfield ‘broke ground’ officially starting the construction of two new state of the art Prep School buildings. This exciting development marks a significant milestone in the school’s commitment to providing an exceptional educational environment for its pupils.
The new buildings will feature six modern, light, and spacious classrooms, a new school hall and kitchen, new play equipment and a welcoming new entrance, all designed to enhance the learning experience and foster a sense of community around a central courtyard space, surrounded by Grade 1 parkland and historic trees.
Working with renowned architects Quattro Design, pupils will soon benefit from the latest developments in Biophilic Design, a practice which uses design techniques to connect children to the landscape; creating a unique learning environment that enhances wellbeing and improves learning outcomes.
“The new buildings at our Prep School represent a significant investment in the future of our children’s education.” says Rebecca Mitchell, Head of the Preparatory School, “These modern, spacious classrooms and facilities will provide an inspiring environment for learning and growth.”
Securing planning permission for the development required close co-operation with Cotswold District Council and Historic England to ensure that the designs reflected the importance and quality of the other buildings at Westonbirt, whilst also taking account of the natural environment and being as sustainable as possible.
The project is the latest in a series of developments at Westonbirt School which has seen the recent construction of eight new classrooms in the walled garden area for maths, business and psychology, two new boarding houses, an international standard astroturf hockey pitch, ECB accredited cricket nets and upgraded sports facilities to complement the indoor pool; all in addition to longer-term heritage conservation and decarbonisation programmes.
Sam Antrobus, of the Wishford Education Group, reiterated the positive impact of the development: “This investment reflects our continued growth and development at a time of uncertainty across the wider independent school sector. These new facilities will not only enhance the educational experience for our pupils but also contribute to the local economy and community by providing state-of-the-art educational spaces that preserves the historical and natural beauty of the area.”
Pictured: A Nursery and Year 6 pupil representing the eldest and youngest pupils at Westonbirt Prep School alongside: representatives of Wishford Education Group; Quattro Design Architecture; RJ Leighfield and Sons and Headmistresses Rebecca Mitchell, of Westonbirt Prep School and Natasha Dangerfield of Westonbirt School.