An important part of the design development involved workshops with the students and staff whose ideas were fed into the final design. We developed group tasks for pupils and staff, meaning that we were able to interact with pupils from each key stage and the broader staff body. By facilitating discussion about what was important to them, in terms of site arrangement, adjacencies, classroom arrangement and pedagogy, we were able to distil this information into a robust client brief.
The new multi-functional building incorporates a variety of teaching facilities and all year groups, organised around a shared central space for large group teaching. The three large spaces; hall, small hall and studio are connected and flexible and can be used as one space for performances and whole school assemblies. Central glazed circulation space connects the infant wing with the junior wing and gives views out to the external shared courtyard, providing a visual link across the building from the main entrance.