Case Study: Highams Park School, Waltham Forest
Pickerings was appointed to provide a modular building solution at Highams Park School in Waltham Forest as a transitionary structure during ongoing demolitions and reconstruction works for a number of the existing on-site classrooms and teaching facilities. Designed to support circa 1411 occupants, the completed two-storey modular building includes: 25 general teaching classrooms, 5 ICT-rich classrooms, a dedicated Year 12 study area with breakout zones, a reception and lobby, 23 staff offices, a fully equipped kitchen and food preparation area, a dining hall for up to 300 pupils, staff kitchenettes, a library, and both student and staff toilets.
An iconic feature for the scheme was a large internal courtyard, enabled by Pickerings’ Principal modular system that ultimately eliminates the need for connecting linkways and maximises the usable space. This led to the seamless creation of an open air space in the centre of the structure, tying everything together in a manner far more expected of a permanent site structure.
Through the construction lens, the scope of works included the installation of 164 Principal modular bays, foundation piers, and above-ground service connections carried out over three phases of works. Across each phase, Pickerings had to adapt to fairly severely restricted access to the site (located down a narrow residential street), with significantly increased challenges during phase two and three as a result of tight turning circles on the site itself. Yet, through close coordination and extensive trialling of the routes, these challenges were quickly overcome.
Perhaps the most significant challenge instead came through the often-overlooked aspect of community engagement. Indeed, due to the location of the site down a narrow residential street, the disruption of residential life was all but inevitable with such a large scheme, as recognised by the Pickerings team. As such, the team went to great extent in not just engaging with the local community, but providing complete clarity in the planned progression of works and addressing any and all queries or concerns along the way – a feat far easier said than done.
“We had early engagement with the local residents,” said Jonathan Mussen. “We told the school that we wanted to start supporting them before we started moving things down the road. So, we had mood board imagery created by the design team and demonstrated how we were going to get the modules in, the timescales involved, to appease any queries and ensure that people were listened to. We then mailshot all of the local residents about times things were happening, and invited the people onto the site to have a look. We also had local engagement at different stages too.”
The Highams Park School project was completed as of 2025, with Richard Palmer, Chief Operating Officer for the school offering glowing feedback for the works conducted:
“The newly established temporary school building has been met with widespread approval, offering state-of-the-art facilities that support both learning and well-being. Feedback from students, staff and parents during the recent open evening was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting a shared confidence in the quality and potential of the new environment.”
Read full case study here: Highams Park School