When leading British Architect, Guy Dawber designed LWC’s Junior House in April 1928, his drawings were greeted with rapture by his peers.

For 96 years, the Grade ll listed home has gazed majestically over cornfields, towards the College’s main buildings and is now nearing the end of ‘the biggest ever glow-up’ according to some of its young residents.

Junior House is home to LWC’s youngest students (1^st Form – Year 7 and 2^nd Form – Year 8), who are now benefitting from a one-million-pound refurbishment project, set to be completed in September 2025.

“We want the children to feel like they’re at home,” explains LWC Director of Estates, Lidia Pocock. “When they’re doing homework, we want them to feel as though they’re doing it at the kitchen table, not sitting at rows of desks….This is their place to be and we want them to feel comfortable. It’s about feeling safe and inspired. Children need to be eating well and sleeping well and it’s my job to make sure that all of this can happen.”

Plans to breathe new life back into Junior House, began in earnest in September 2023, with the first work being completed in summer 2024. Each change has been part of a detailed process, which has involved working closely with the Planning and Conservation Teams at Hart District Council.

“I believe in caring for young people. I believe in relationships and pastoral care. In my head, there was a natural step into houseparenting, which to me is about living in a building with a huge extended family.”

— Pete Maidment, Houseparent, Junior House

“Anything that we can do to enhance the heritage of the House, we’re doing,” explains Mrs Pocock. “We’re hoping to replace one of the old Juliet balconies that was taken away and the colours that we’re using inside will all be heritage colours. We want to bring the 1200 acres indoors with earthy schemes that are in keeping with the era.”

In order to maintain the feeling of home, capacity within Junior House is being reduced. “We’re not trying to squeeze kids in,” Lidia explains. There will eventually be a total of 60 beds. Out go the big dormitories designed by Dawber, which could sleep 17-20. In come the smaller bedrooms, providing a welcome base for tired limbs and racing minds. A finished upgrade of washroom facilities, alongside extensive redecoration of downstairs rooms and corridors will complete the transformation.

But Junior is far more than a sanctuary for boarders. “Obviously, day students can use the House as well,” Lidia continues. “At the main school, 1^st and 2^nd Form also have Hendersons – which is a brilliant common room space for them to get together. As a day student, you can get dropped off at Junior for breakfast, have all of your meals (including tea) at school, before going back to House to do your prep and being picked up from there, if you want to. It’s about whatever works for you.”

Naturally, the feel of anywhere is about so much more than bricks, mortar or Juliet balconies though. It’s about the people at the heart of it. Junior House is led by Pete Maidment and his team, which comprises five staff living in-house and two Matrons. Mr Maidment was a student at LWC himself, but since returning as a member of staff, the draw to Junior has been significant.

“I’ve done a duty week in Junior every week since I’ve been here,” he reveals (which is now nearing a decade). “Junior has always been the focus.” With a background in youth work, it isn’t difficult to see why he’s first choice in steering the pastoral side of things for this cohort of pre-teens. “I believe in caring for young people,” he explains. “I believe in relationships and pastoral care. In my head, there was a natural step into houseparenting, which to me is about living in a building with a huge extended family.”

But being a member of Junior House as an 11, 12 or 13 year old brings a raft of life skills, alongside a feeling of belonging. “They get lots of independence,” Mr Maidment continues. “There can be a real misunderstanding that if you go to a boarding school, everything gets done for you.  It’s the exact opposite. We’re teaching life skills. Our three words in Junior House are ‘Appropriate, Respectful and Empathetic’. We teach those words in everything that we do – so ‘what impact did that have on someone else and how did that make you feel?’ We’re helping the children to learn so much more than Maths and English.”

Fun is also a key part of life in Junior. “You’re spending all of your time with your friends and that’s great,” Mr Maidment adds. Whether it’s playing sport on the extensive lawns, gaming alongside classmates or chatting with the Maidments’ cat, everyone is given the opportunity to carve out their own space. Speaking of carving, the Halloween pumpkins are legendary, not to mention the Christmas decorations.

We only get two years with them in Junior House,” Mr Maidment concludes. “And the goal is to make a huge impact within that two years.”

Want to be a part of Junior House life? We’d love you to visit us.