Built on Trust: Westholme Preparatory School

When Westholme Preparatory School set out to unite its entire community on a single campus, it marked a turning point in the school’s history. HPA was entrusted to lead the relocation and redevelopment of the Preparatory School – drawing on decades of collaboration, deep institutional knowledge, and a shared commitment to listening first.

With 700 pupils aged 2-18 spread across three sites, Westholme sought a solution that would strengthen community cohesion, improve operational clarity, and modernise its facilities while respecting the character and heritage of its estate. For HPA, the project was an opportunity to apply long‑term insight to create a unified, future‑ready campus at Wilmar Lodge.

In this short video we walk you through the site and discuss why collaboration was the key to unlock this project:

 

A Partnership Built Over Time

Founded in 1923, Westholme has evolved into a contemporary independent school serving 700 pupils. Prior to redevelopment, the school operated across three sites: Wilmar Lodge, Beardwood House, and Billinge House. HPA’s involvement across the estate for over twenty years meant the practice already understood the school’s rhythms, constraints, and ambitions – establishing a foundation of trust that proved essential throughout the project.

Listening First: Visioning and Feasibility

HPA’s involvement with Westholme dates back to 1995 – first designing the Croston Theatre before designing the Sixth Form Centre and Library, as well as many other small projects over the years.

For the most recent project, HPA led three years of feasibility studies and master planning; working closely with school leadership and staff, the team analysed daily operations, safeguarding requirements, and long‑term space pressures. The outcome was a clear, strategic proposal: to bring all pupils together on a single integrated campus through a careful combination of refurbishment, repurposing, and targeted new‑build interventions.

This approach maximised existing assets, reduced disruption, and ensured proposals were firmly rooted in Westholme’s educational and operational aspirations.

A New Home for the Preparatory School

The approved scheme transformed two existing buildings on the Senior School site into a new Preparatory School. Key design moves included:

• The sensitive integration of two buildings to form a cohesive environment
• A new first‑floor extension providing a dedicated Primary School for 200 pupils
• Reorganised internal spaces around a wide central corridor, improving circulation, legibility, and safeguarding
• Clear connections to specialist teaching spaces

A standout feature of the design is the new dividing bridge, enabling safe, direct access to the adjoining woodland. This intervention turned an underused natural asset into a valuable outdoor learning environment, reinforcing wellbeing, curriculum enrichment, a connection to place, and creating a level route to the playing area.

Building Community Through Shared Spaces

Bringing three sites together not only improves efficiency but moreover strengthens identity and belonging. New and upgraded shared spaces include outdoor learning areas, an inclusive playground, and enhanced library and hall facilities. These areas support interaction across age groups while maintaining appropriate supervision and boundaries, helping to create a cohesive, progressive educational journey.

Sustainable by Design

Sustainability underpinned the project from the outset. By reusing and adapting existing buildings, the scheme significantly reduced embodied carbon. Upgrades to 1970s structures improved thermal performance, while new interventions incorporated sedum roofs, high‑efficiency LED lighting, and biodiversity measures such as bat boxes – demonstrating how responsible design can deliver long‑term value without unnecessary new build.

A Lasting Legacy

The Preparatory School redevelopment forms part of a wider body of work delivered by HPA at Westholme over more than two decades.

Completed after five years of sustained collaboration, the most recent project reflects a shared commitment to heritage, sustainability, and pupil experience. The result is a revitalised Preparatory School and a unified campus – carefully designed to support the next generation of learners and the continuing evolution of Westholme.

Head over to our Education sector page to discover more about our work in education settings.