Members of the Greater London Assembly, architects, sustainability experts and leaders of some of London’s top schools came together last month in the new Sixth Form centre at North Bridge House, in Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead.
The symposium was hosted by Guy Collins-Down, chief operating officer of Alleyn’s School Group, which leads a programme of building transformation, research and development for all of Alleyn’s schools, and David Judge, executive creative director of Kampus.
The Senior Campus has begun its transformation in preparation for its becoming Alleyn’s Hampstead from September 2026.
This is guided by an approach that focuses on personalisation, naturalisation and inspiration for students.
Mr Judge, bringing a career of retail design to the educational sector, argues an emphasis on wipe-clean environments misunderstands what schools are for.
He said: “The classroom is the most important space on the planet and yet it seemed often to be just a white box with a load of plastic chairs.
“No adult would choose to sit in a white box filled with plastic chairs so why do we think this is fine for children?”
For Mr Collins-Down, redeveloping the Rosslyn Hill campus is about enhancing student well-being.
He believes that school design has often focused more on aesthetics rather than how spaces feel to use.
He said: “Children are designed to move, so sitting in a static chair for 20 minutes will cause their blood circulation to drop and their concentration to diminish.
“By giving them chairs that are meant to wobble, they can pivot and their blood circulation stays active – helping them stay alert, whilst also strengthening their core muscles as part of their development.
“It’s paying attention to these details that add up and make a real difference but too often the furniture and fittings are the last thing given consideration in a school’s design.”
The approach is designed to create a sense of calm and well-being, with a focus on using technology to improve and adjust the environment.
Key elements include attention to air quality, acoustics, ergonomics, lighting, and visual stimuli, as well as bespoke furniture.
Mr Collins-Down pointed out that the corridors at Alleyn’s Hampstead are designed with break-out spaces so that students carry on learning and thinking in their conversations with each other following the stimulation of a lesson.
He said: “Sweating the small stuff is super-important but it shouldn’t look deliberate.
“Our corridors all have herring-bone flooring because it’s good for kids with ASD – to point them in the right direction but they also emphasise a unique Alleyn’s sense of belonging for all our pupils.
“When designing learning spaces, how well children can hear – especially if they have audio processing issues – is crucial to their academic success.
“Being aware that boys and girls hear at different frequencies matters. It’s considering the height of the ceiling and reverberation that’s important – but it can be done by all schools with incredibly inexpensive materials.”
The school group has previously implemented similar design principles in other schools, including the recently re-developed schools in Regent’s Park and the soon-to-be Alleyn’s Hampstead Junior School in Netherhall Gardens, which was reopened two weeks ago.
During the event, Sarah Cartwright-Styles, head of the nursery and junior schools in Hampstead, described how an early-years child was able to settle much more quickly thanks to the careful consideration of acoustics, colour-palette and bespoke furniture – including “magic water taps”.
Jane Lunnon, head of Alleyn’s School, which was awarded Co-Educational Independent School of the Year in October, added, “As an independent school we have the freedom to experiment and rigorously study the difference design makes for pupils.
“It’s crucial we share our learnings to support innovation for the whole sector and enhance educational experiences for all children in all schools.”
