Senior Department Redevelopment

Over the last few years work has been taking place on the proposed redevelopment of the Senior Department at King’s House, modernising buildings to provide first-class facilities for many years to come. The works involve the demolition of several old buildings, whilst constructing a state-of-the-art music, arts and teaching block. Internal refurbishment and landscaping works will also improve the site’s accessibility and sustainability credentials.

Project History

King’s House first opened in 1946, and since then the school has acquired several buildings along the way. The Junior Department opened in 1955 at 61 Kings Road, and 66 Kings Road was then purchased in 1965 to expand the Senior Department from number 68. The Nursery opened just around the corner in 2009, and King’s House also began operating the Sports Ground in Chiswick, which was previously run by the Civil Service.

Over the last 80 years buildings and classrooms have been refurbished, including additional extensions at 66 Kings Road. These extensions now present operational, logistical and accessibility challenges which need to be addressed.

Therefore, in June 2022 planning permission was granted to redevelop the Senior Department, and in July 2024 preliminary foundation works took place to prepare the site / protect planning.

More information can be found below regarding plans, benefits of the development and FAQs.

Enhanced Accessibility

Currently, there are numerous level changes between different buildings and a sloping site. The new design increases the accessible area from 38% to 54%, making the Senior Department more inclusive for a wide range of users.

Many of the current old buildings were not designed for educational use, and due to their age these must be replaced to meet inclusive design requirements. As laid out in the plans, some existing facilities can be improved rather than replaced.

The redevelopment will also improve logistics and make the site easier to navigate. Certain areas and corridors will be opened up, improving the flow of people around the school.

Modernisation and Heritage

The new buildings will provide modern facilities for high-quality teaching and learning. Larger classrooms will improve the environment for children and staff, as well as the community groups who also use the school’s facilities.

There are also heritage benefits to the new buildings, such as by removing additional extensions which are not in keeping with the original Victorian buildings, benefiting the St Matthias Conservation Area. Additionally, the new facilities will have considered materiality, green roofs and walls, designed to complement and enhance the Buildings of Townscape Merit on site, integrating into the garden setting.

Sustainability

Enhancing the landscape and outdoor space around the buildings will provide additional native wildflowers, shrubs and trees, as well as flexible play space and exciting outdoor learning environments. The landscaping has been planned to complement the existing and new buildings.

There will be a net gain of 20 trees to provide a biodiversity net gain across the site, and will include native planting, green roofs & walls, faunal boxes. Tree planting contributes to the character of the Conservation Area the school is in, whilst enhancing biodiversity. Existing trees will be fully protected during the construction process.

The new buildings will meet modern energy use and rigorous sustainability requirements, criteria and standards. This is an exciting opportunity to replace less efficient infrastructure with highly sustainable buildings, also reducing the school’s carbon use.

Project Plans

The three main aspects to the development include:

The demolition of a few existing school buildings, which have been added since the original Victorian and Edwardian houses.
Building a two and three storey teaching block, which links to and extends the existing sports hall. This will include music and drama classrooms, music practice rooms, and six general classrooms. There will also be additional areas for staff, storage and support services.
Internal refurbishment work to the existing main school buildings to improve accessibility and logistical issues, such as enlarging the dining hall and library. This involves some external modifications to the rear of the buildings.

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Design & Access Statement