Construction has started on an exciting new multi-use hall at The Piggott School in Wargrave, marking a significant milestone in the school’s phased expansion project. The project, designed to accommodate an additional 230 pupils and enhance sixth form facilities, forms part of Wokingham Borough Council’s wider initiative to increase secondary school places across the borough.
We are proud to have led the design of The Piggott School’s new multi-use hall up to planning and continue to serve as Technical Advisor for Wokingham Borough Council. Our ongoing involvement allows us to support the project as it progresses, ensuring that the design intent is realised on site while contributing to the borough’s wider goal of providing additional secondary school places. Reaching this milestone is an exciting moment for our team, and we look forward to seeing the project develop through to completion.
Enhancing Education: New Spaces for Learning and Community
The new hall will feature a spacious main hall and dining area, alongside a dedicated working space, staff office and sixth form lounge. The project is progressing to schedule, with the building now watertight and the exterior shell, roof, windows, doors, and underfloor heating all installed. The next phase of work will focus on internal construction, including the erection of internal walls, first fix electrical, mechanical, and data wiring, and the lining of external walls.
HLM Architect’s Technical Director Russell Whitby, said: “We are thrilled to see construction is underway at The Piggott School’s new multi-use hall. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our design vision coming to life. We are proud to be involved in such a significant development and look forward to continuing our role as the project progresses.”
Cllr Prue Bray, Executive Member for Children’s Services, commented: “I am delighted work is progressing at The Piggott School. The new main hall and dining area will provide more space for pupils, which will help provide more secondary places across the borough. We want to ensure each child in our borough has access to education by providing fair opportunities for everyone, which is why the council continues to invest in school facilities.”
Derren Gray, Chief Executive Officer of Agape Multi-Academy Trust, added: “The Piggott School continues its commitment to working with the local authority to meet the local community’s need for places at the school in current and future years, and welcomes this investment in the school estate.”
Investing in Wokingham Schools: Part of a Wider Borough Education Programme
The Piggott School’s expansion is part of a broader programme of investment in local education facilities. Last year saw the completion of a new dining hall at The St Crispin’s School in Wokingham. We designed a much-needed dining hall expansion into a former courtyard at St. Crispin’s. The design of the new hall Incorporates a lantern roof with glazed clerestory, providing natural light and ventilation below a cross-laminated timber deck with a rainwater reservoir above. All this sits upon exposed steel lattice trusses similar to those of the 1950s parts of the building. The courtyard addition stands back from the original four storey tower structure and emulates the lantern roofs to the original kitchen and changing room blocks which remain in use.
This new multi-use hall represents a major step forward in ensuring that Wokingham’s growing student population has access to high-quality facilities, reflecting a strong commitment to educational excellence and community growth. The new hall is expected to complete by the end of 2025.
