The Building of St Edward's School: A Chronology (1870 - 2020)

P AGE N O : 100 First mention of female pupils being admitted ‘in restricted numbers’ (General Purposes, November 1982). Entry of girls rejected by Governors after a split vote with the Chairman’s vote being the deciding factor (Governors’ Meeting, November 1982). First girl Penelope Burke joins. New Sports Hall to be renamed ‘The Douglas Bader Sports Centre’. He had died in the previous September (Governors’ Meeting, November 1982) Cowell’s /Segar’s renovations now complete with accommodation problems less severe than anticipated. Corfe also now complete (excluding the extension) and ‘the House thrives’ (Governors’ Meeting, November 1982). 1983 - The old Gym building transformed into a Design Workshop, also room is made in the Art School for the printing press whose old home is taken over by the Metalwork Department (Summer 1983 Chronicle) Appeal totals £400,000 (£1,912,000 today) with the new money being ‘directed towards Design and Technology ( Falconer Partnership Design ) although the Sports Hall not yet fully paid for’ The decision not to include female pupils - taken three months previously - is overturned by 11 votes to 2 by the Governors, with 8-10 day-girls being admitted at VIth Form level providing all assurances are met (Governors’ Meeting, February 1983) Proposal made for a new Computer Laboratory with an estimated cost of £20,000 (£695,600 today) Area on the first floor of the Sanatorium adapted for female pupils (General Purposes, November 1984). 1984 - No further action of any kind will be taken with regards to the Apsley Paddox Estate ‘that would cost the School money’ (Governors’ Meeting, February, 1984) Computer Laboratory now ‘in full working order’ (General Purposes, November 1984) Properties owned by the School include 32, 34, 42 and 45 Oakthorpe Road and rented properties (for staff) 8a Lucerne Road, 8 Paddox Close, 15 and 52 Victoria Road, 46 Middle Way, 100 Hamilton Road, 108 and 287 Woodstock Road and 362 Banbury Road (General Purposes, November 1984). 1985 - Pictures of the School in the summer of 1985 Chronicle show that in the past 10 years Big School had been transformed into a Library, and soon after the former Library (Memorial Building) changed into first an Art School, then a Pottery and later a home for Printing as well. ‘The Hollies’ now changed into a Music School Annex and the Lecture Theatre converted first into an Art Room and finally a space for a Computer Centre (Summer 1985 Chronicle) All existing Boarding Houses now renovated, Macnamara’s was the first and Apsley the last A new organ installed in Chapel - ‘a magnificent instrument from Magdalen College, Oxford, donated to the School’ (Autumn 1985 Chronicle). It will be installed in two parts in the West Gallery of the Chapel and inaugurated 22 nd February 1987. Designed by Deane Organ Builders of Taunton (N. Hunter, 2013) Chapel heating updated and redecoration approved (Governors’ Meeting, June 1985) Agreement reached to renovate Apsley (House) at a cost ‘no more than £210,000 (£913,500 today). List of building priorities given as 5 class rooms, a Lecture Room with up to 120 persons capacity, combined Craft/Art and Technology Centre, completion of Corfe House on one site, renovation of