EDUCATION PROJECTS

CREATING EXCEPTIONAL SPACES FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

At Katherine Innes Consulting, we partner with independent schools to create spaces that support modern educational needs while respecting each institution’s distinct culture and offer. From innovative new facilities to sensitive upgrades, our projects balance functionality, sustainability, and design excellence. We understand the importance of fostering environments where students can thrive—honouring tradition while enabling the future of learning.

SELECTED PROJECT EXPERIENCE:

St Swithun’s School

Churcher’s College

Sherborne School for Boys

Pinewood School

Exeter College Oxford

Glasgow School of Art

READ OUR PROJECT JOURNAL
Katherine Innes Consulting Creating Exceptional Spaces for Independent Schools 
PROJECT INSIGHTS

ST SWITHUN'S SCHOOL

We were invited to support this outstanding independent school, nestled within a protected National Park, as it sought to plan and prioritise a series of ambitious developments across its historic estate. With aspirations to enhance sports facilities and deliver upgraded sixth form amenities, Katherine Innes Consulting brought structure and clarity to a complex portfolio of projects. Each element had its own objectives, sensitivities, and timelines, requiring close collaboration with talented architects and design teams to create a cohesive, deliverable masterplan for the site.

  • The School sought to develop a comprehensive masterplan to guide future growth. While the masterplan needed to address the ambitions to deliver outstanding sports and sixth form facilities as a whole, the individual projects would be delivered sequentially.

    This required balancing tight financial parameters and navigating complex environmental planning restrictions within a protected National Park. At the same time, we had to carefully manage the diverse priorities and expectations of a passionate school community. Ultimately, the challenge was to ensure every decision aligned with the school’s values, ambitions, and long-term vision.

  • Our role was to bring strategy, clarity, and cohesion to a complex, evolving project while building trust across diverse stakeholders.

    Strategic Leadership
    We established a collaborative framework between two architectural teams, ensuring consistency while respecting each project’s unique brief and constraints.

    Stakeholder Engagement
    We developed a structured engagement programme involving students, staff, governors, and planning authorities—bringing the right people into the conversation at the right time.

    Workshop Facilitation
    We led purposeful workshops that fostered openness, helping surface priorities, challenges, and tensions.

    Simplifying Complexity
    We translated technical and financial details into clear, engaging content, enabling meaningful participation from all groups.

    Board Support
    We provided evidence-based presentations at key decision points, helping school leaders make confident, informed choices.

    Planning Strategy
    Collaborating with planning consultants, we shaped an approach that respected the National Park setting, prioritising landscape sensitivity and design quality.

    At the core of our approach was active relationship management—nurturing open communication within the school community to sustain momentum and keep the vision clear and unified.

  • The result is a clear, phased development strategy supported by a comprehensive masterplan to guide the school’s future development direction—balancing educational ambitions with financial and environmental realities.

    Planning approval has already been secured for the first major project—a significant milestone within a highly protected planning environment.

    Equally important, the school community is now united around a clear, shared vision for the future.

Katherine Innes Consulting St Swithun's School Project

“I would unreservedly recommend Katie and have been delighted with her work to date in support of our major projects. Utterly professional, charming and reliable. She is an impressive project manager who represents the interests and needs of the school in an authoritative manner but also offers realistic assessments of the opinions of architects and contractors alike. Honest and forthright.”

ST SWITHUN'S SCHOOL, HAMPSHIRE

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

Please do get in touch if you’d like to discuss a potential project with us.
We’d love to hear from you.

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