Junior School Growth & Investment

Bringing the whole of Westholme School together on one site has been a long-held dream, which will finally be realised next year, writes Meena McDonald

The seed was already planted by Westholme’s second Principal Mr Arthur Rouse in 1968 and in September 2022 his vision will finally come to fruition.

His dream was to bring the whole school together on one site and with the development of the new prep school, the junior provision will move to Wilmar Lodge bringing together the whole Westholme family.

With extensive growth and investment, the junior provision is already expanding rapidly and by September 2022 to coincide with the opening of the new site, each junior year group from Years 3 to 6 will increase from one class to two.

What will the new junior provision deliver?
The whole ethos of Westholme is to provide a fully rounded education to each student, developing and nurturing the essential skills employers are seeking in young people, such as communication, confidence, leadership, independence, teamwork and problem solving.

Westholme can prepare your child for the future with the highest academic provision combined with fantastic facilities for every student to take advantage of.

The hugely spacious facilities offer superb outdoor learning opportunities through nature with the leafy forest school, centenary garden, fields and outside playing area, along with outstanding sporting facilities including astro turf, netball pitches, football and hockey pitches and swimming pool.

Of course, it isn’t just outdoor and sporting facilities which are at the disposal of all students, there’s also a whole host of dedicated spaces to deliver unbelievable experiences in technology, graphic design, food technology, art and design, as well as a fully professional theatre and new state-of-the-art music department. This is not like any ordinary junior education!

School Principal Dr Richard Robson commented: “There is so much excitement about our new expansion and the growth is a genuine reflection of the investment we’ve made into the first-class educational provision at Westholme. Every junior pupil will experience something quite extraordinary giving them exceptional educational opportunities like no other school. As well as the warm, family feel of the pupils, the incredible facilities enable each student to access to the most advanced resources and individual subject specialists.”

Those attending the prep school will also gain automatic entry into the senior school and with admissions expanding rapidly, there is much greater demand for entry into Year 7 already. The school took the biggest Year 7 intake this September in over five years and the current Year 12 cohort in the INSPIRED Sixth Form is the largest in the school’s history.

Dr Robson continued: “The school is well known for its unrivalled holistic approach and wholesome education provision that creates happy pupils who love coming to school, we have also reaped amazing academic results, and the school is now one of the highest achieving independent schools in the North of England. We know that fulfilled, thriving students perform much better and strive to achieve the highest possible results for themselves. It’s quite extraordinary to be part of it – you could not imagine a better school anywhere in the whole country.”

Access for all
With students having access to the same facilities, it means prep school students will be able to utilise the same advanced scientific laboratories and equipment that an A level student would be using. The older students will also be on hand to support the younger ones with their learning. This will enable the younger students to interact, learn and build their confidence whilst communicating with older students, and in turn, the older students can develop their leadership and communication skills.

The sense of family is a thread running through every aspect of the school. During a recent school inspection, surveys taken by students, parents and teachers reflected everyone’s commitment and high praise of this unique and tangible ethos.

The school plans to host Open House Sessions in June 2022 where everyone will have the opportunity to view the tremendous new facilities.
Dr Robson concluded: “Westholme does have a truly impressive history and an incredibly bright future.

“The atmosphere is totally unique and whilst the students are fortunate enough to be surrounded by an extraordinary range of facilities and innovative resources, they are genuinely diligent, purposeful and down to earth. A true recipe for success.”

Westholme School
Wilmar Lodge, Meins Road
Blackburn BB2 6QU
01254 506070
westholmeschool.com

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