At Acland Burghley’s end-of-year Celebrating Excellence event on Friday 11th July, Headteacher Nicholas John was thrilled to officially announce that the school’s long-standing Hall for All project has been awarded a phenomenal £1,053,918 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund! This generous grant will allow the school’s unique and standalone Assembly Hall to be transformed into a world-class performance, arts and heritage space for the students and the local community. The renovation will be designed and led by Reed Watts Architects. The thriving new venue will also house the UK’s first Museum of Brutalist Architecture (MoBA), developed by Urban Learners, and will host a dedicated programme of community events including cross-generational projects, exhibitions and film screenings.
Acland Burghley is one of the last remaining examples of a school building in the Brutalist style and was the only school built by the renowned architects Howell, Killick, Partridge, & Amis Architects in the 1960s. Both the main school building and its Assembly Hall are grade II listed and the funding will be vital to restoring the hall to its original intended purpose as a thriving community space. The hall has hosted activities as wide ranging as a youth club, community operas, boxing matches, and experimental dance productions. By opening up the hall once more to the community and ensuring the building is energy efficient and sustainable, the project will achieve the four key investment principles of The National Lottery Heritage Fund: saving heritage; protecting the environment; inclusion, access and participation, and organisational sustainability.
At the celebration event, Acland Burghley students enthused about the potential of this ambitious project: “We’ll really be able to utilise the space now and put on more productions for the benefit of the community. The upgraded sound and tech will make for a really immersive experience for the audience” said Jeriah Kibusi in year 9. Meanwhile Harvey O’Brien, year 10 Acland Burghley student and Camden Deputy Youth MP, said “It’s a great opportunity for both the school and the local community. It will allow us to do so much more and help so many more people.” Maizie in year 8 reflected on the last hall activity she took part in. “I really enjoyed when we hosted the afternoon tea for the care home residents in the hall. The elderly people were nice and sweet. Now with this funding, we can do things like this every year.”
Headteacher Nicholas John said “This isn’t just about renovating a building. For our neighbours, safe, accessible spaces like this Hall can be a lifeline. The Hall for All will give young people, families and community groups a place to connect, learn and belong and ensure that this treasured space remains accessible and inspiring for generations. We are really grateful to everyone who has donated so far. Every penny given now will ensure we reach our funding target.”
Stuart McLeod, Director – London & South, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We’re delighted to support Acland Burghley’s Hall for All project with this significant investment. This is a truly inspiring project that not only preserves an important piece of our architectural heritage, but also breathes new life into it for the benefit of the whole community. Thanks to National Lottery players, this iconic Brutalist space will create the UK’s first Museum of Brutalist Architecture as well as become a vibrant hub for creativity, learning and connection for generations to come.”
The grant was made possible by match funding and the school would also like to thank the London Borough of Camden for their SEND Capital funding and funding around energy efficiency measures, The Wolfson Family Foundation, The Hollick Family Foundation, The Cecil Rosen Foundation, The Reed Foundation, as well as hundreds of individual donors including Acland Burghley families, architectural enthusiasts, heritage lovers and members of the public. A big thank you also goes to the National Lottery players.
There is still a funding gap of around £400,000 left to raise and interested readers can visit https://hallforall.org/ to support, donate or find out how they can help. Building work is set to start in April 2026.
