Bringing our Westholme Family Together 

One Family, One Future

In September 2022, we completed an exciting chapter in our school’s history by bringing all Westholme students from 4-18 together to be educated on one site. We opened a state-of-the-art new Prep School on the same site as the Senior School and INSPIRED Sixth Form at Wilmar Lodge. The vision for One Family, One Site, One Westholme is incredibly exciting and we are already seeing the benefits of being all together on one site. You can watch the build progress of the project in the video below as well as read about the reasons behind it and the benefits that it would bring to Westholme. 

Progress timelapse video

Front Facing View

Rear Facing View

Westholme School celebrates its 100th birthday in 2023 and during the last 99 years, our commitment has been to deliver a first class unrivalled holistic excellence and continue to be the leading 4-18 school in Lancashire.

Our ethos is the same as it was in 1923, when Emily Singleton began teaching a handful of local pupils, and we still put our children at the heart of all we do. This is our central goal and coupled with the unique philosophy of educating the whole child, it continues to shape our exciting future.

Unrivalled holistic excellence places an equal value on every subject to inculcate the essential 21st century skills from 4 – 18. This unique educational philosophy enables all our pupils to leave as impressive, articulate and well-rounded young adults.


Acknowledging the Past

Whilst the Infant and Junior sites at Billinge House and Beardwood Bank have played an acknowledged and important role in our history, we strongly believe that the children will genuinely benefit from being in one place, consolidating not only our vision of one School community but also that of Mr Arthur Rouse, who opened the Senior School at Wilmar Lodge in 1968 and whose stated aim was always to bring the whole School together as one.


Key Benefits

Creative Hub

It provided a superb opportunity for us to implement change across the curriculum and we planned to bring all our creative disciplines together under one roof, meaning that the Rouse Block now accommodates Art, Photography, Food and Nutrition, Textiles and Product Design altogether from July 2021.

Musical Investment

Similarly, for Music, a new zone in the lower ground floor of the INSPIRED Sixth Form Centre was created with the same amount of space as the old music block, but with all the benefits of being newly refurbished and in the centre of the main building. This was completed in April 2021 and features state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. 

Enhanced Parking

We have also enhanced the onsite parking, and access, as well as the turning circle with the Meins Road entrance to ease the traffic flow and congestion at these critical point. Other possible alterations to the highway on Meins Road are being discussed with the Council as an ongoing part of the planning process. 

Future Developments

In the longer term, pending further debate at Board level and close examination of our position, we intend to extend our sporting provision also. We recognise that there is need for more suitable space and facilities in this important area of our educational provision and traditional success.