Seeing the new multi-use hall at The Piggott School officially opened by Borough Mayor Cllr Carol Jewell was a proud moment for everyone involved. It’s fantastic to be able to stand in a completed space, surrounded by students, teachers and project partners, and see first-hand the impact of the project. This milestone represents the culmination of a carefully phased journey and a meaningful investment in the future of education in Wargrave.
This new hall is the key piece of a wider expansion 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. From the outset, the ambition was clear: create spaces that are flexible, inclusive, and able to adapt to the evolving needs of the school community. Standing in the hall on opening day, that ambition felt fully realised.
New spaces for learning and community
What makes this space special is its versatility. In the morning, it plays host to assemblies, a place where the whole school can come together. As the day unfolds, it transforms effortlessly into a vibrant dining area, with retractable seating allowing students to gather for breakfast, break times and lunch. The new hall features and spacious main hall, alongside a dedicated working space, staff office and sixth form lounge.
The opening event itself captured the spirit of collaboration that has underpinned the project from the beginning. Joining the headteacher, staff, pupils, the Agape Multi-Academy Trust and Cllr Prue Bray, it was clear just how much this development means to the school community. There’s a shared sense of pride, not just in the building, but in what it enables: more opportunities, better facilities, and a stronger environment for learning.
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. Looking around the hall now, full of energy, activity and life, it’s clear this is a space that will serve the school well for years to come.
