The King’s School has announced the opening of a brand new sports pavilion at its 80-acre Prestbury site in 2026, which will provide a first-class facility for the school and wider community partnerships.
Forming part of the school’s original ‘2020 Vision’ for the campus on Alderley Road, the pavilion plans were brought forward due to a substantial legacy left by a former pupil and benefactor. In recognition of Roy Forster’s affection for King’s and his desire to see future generations benefit from a world-class environment for sport and community life, the building will be named the Forster Pavilion.
Marking another important step in delivering the school’s strategic development plan, Forster Pavilion will be a £5m investment in the already impressive King’s campus. It will provide a two-story sports hub with a wrap-around spectators’ balcony, located at the centre of the school’s hockey, netball and junior football pitches. Downstairs, two large and two smaller changing spaces with shower facilities will accommodate up to 200 pupils, with five further individual changing rooms for match officials and staff. The 250 square metre, open-plan hospitality suite situated on the first floor, will include full audio-visual capability, two separate meeting rooms and comprehensive kitchen and catering provision, to create a venue for formal and casual dining occasions.
The building is fully accessible throughout, including a lift and accessible changing facilities. The roof of the building will also see a full array of solar panels, reinforcing the school’s commitment to sustainability and adding to the solar panels already installed on the academic building and sports centre.
Due to be opened in September 2026, the pavilion will provide flexible and much-needed high-quality sports and events facilities for the local community. Current regular users of the school’s Astro pitches include both Macclesfield and Alderley Edge Hockey Club, as well as Alderley United FC and many other local sports clubs.
Jason Slack, Head of King’s, commented on the plans. He said: “We are delighted to complete our original development plan with Forster Pavilion. It is testament to our ongoing commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities for our school and wider communities. We look forward to opening the pavilion in the name of our extremely generous benefactor, who was a talented cricketer and rugby player whilst at King’s before going on to a successful career as a Vet.”
Endorsing the investment in new Sports facilities in Macclesfield, Dame Sarah Story, said: “I’m excited to see the plans for the new King’s sports pavilion. Sport has played a huge role in my life, and sport plays a powerful role in children's development of a wide range of life skills that go far beyond physical fitness, including teamwork, cooperation, confidence, resilience, and respect. This new eco-friendly sports pavilion will be a fantastic addition to what is already an incredible campus at King’s. It will be a fantastic space for King’s pupils as well as provide the local community with additional facilities, including the many local sports clubs that regularly train and hold fixtures on King’s Astro pitches and netball courts. This project is a fantastic investment in sports education and facilities for the region.”