Trinity School, Sevenoaks
Client: Trinity School Trust
Role: RIBA Client Adviser
S Williams Architects was appointed by Trinity School Trust as their RIBA Client Adviser, supporting the Trust from the earliest stages of the project. Sarah played a pivotal role in the initial site search, helping to define and refine the school’s site requirements, shape the brief, and develop key design tools such as the schedule of accommodation, adjacency diagrams, and a concept design for a preferred site in Sevenoaks. Initially, Sarah supported the Trust in refurbishing an existing office building to act as a temporary home for the school, whilst the new buildings were constructed.
The team was asked to evaluate an alternative site within the Greenbelt, which had formerly been used as a school but came with complex political and planning challenges. The Department for Education requested Kent County Council (KCC) take forward the procurement, and Sarah remained engaged as the school’s Client Adviser throughout the process.
Sarah worked alongside Willmott Dixon and Bond Bryan Architects—who developed the design on behalf of KCC—to ensure the school’s aspirations were retained. While the final scheme differed from the original S Williams Architects concept, many of the core design principles championed by the school were successfully embedded in the new design.
Key features include a generous, central, flexible worship and gathering space large enough to accommodate the entire school community, and the organisation of learning spaces into four distinct ‘colleges’ to support the school’s educational philosophy. The completed building offers 6,500m² of internal space, thoughtfully arranged in a landscaped setting with a range of outdoor learning and play areas.
Given its location in the Greenbelt, careful attention was given to the building’s siting and massing to minimise visual impact, alongside resolving complex highways issues. The site is shared with a grammar school annexe, and the scheme received planning approval in 2014. Completed in 2017, Trinity School has since grown rapidly in popularity, with expansion plans already underway shortly after opening.
“We employed Sarah Williams as a Client Advisor to help us in dealing with design issues for both temporary and permanent sites for our new Free School. We found her to be experienced, creative, pragmatic and very committed to helping us to achieve our objectives. “
Bill Lattimer, Chair of Governors, Trinity School Sevenoaks.
