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

P AGE N O : 104 Warden produces the ‘Next Ten Year Plan’ including reducing House pupil numbers to approximately 50, finding high standard family and bachelor staff accommodation, increasing the number of female pupils to 80 in the VIth Form and remaining alert to ground forces ‘which may drive the School into a full co-educational establishment’ (General Purposes, September 1990) Oxford City Council refuse to grant outline planning permission for six residential properties on the old Piggeries site. The School has 6 months to appeal the decision (General Purposes, February 1991). 1991 - St. Edward’s first Girls Boarding House, Oakthorpe ( Architect Design Partnership design ) completed, taking female pupils out of ‘digs’ around the School. It is divided into three parts, soon to be linked by a covered walkway; in all, 90 girls will be housed there eventually. Initially it will be the residence for Upper School girls only (Summer 1991 Chronicle) The all-weather Fisher Field sports pitch opened, thanks in part to a significant donation already mentioned. Despite this the School still have to find £130,000 (£399,100 today) (Oxley, 2015) The site of a warehouse on 262-266 Woodstock Road is still of considerable interest to the School. It adjoins the Music School and the Maintenance Yard and a ‘valuable site for future School development’ (Governors’ Meeting, March 1991). A provisional offer of £245,000 (£721,150 today) is tendered (Governors’ Meeting, June 1991) Governors advised that the owners of the Red Lion site might be ‘disposed to offers if the price is right’. On the eastern side of the Music School the Northern House School ‘may also become available’ (General Purposes, September 1991) Discussion surrounding the Warden’s House with a possible scenario of the Warden retaining the ground floor accommodation and the Second Master (presently a bachelor) occupying the first and second floors, with the ‘Warden moving to a family residence in close proximity to the School’. A feasibility study is agreed to see whether 277 or 289 Woodstock Road might be a suitable location for the Warden and his family (General Purposes, September, 1991) Outline plans presented for the kitchen/dining areas. These include demolition of the present outbuildings and the construction of a new single-storey building incorporating serveries with a total floor area larger than the existing facilities. The Dining Room and current secretaries/reprographics room will provide space for 324 seating spaces. Entry to the serveries will be via a converted corridor to the north of the kitchens with the current doors being used as an exit to the Quad (General Purposes, November 1991) A new Common Room is proposed with a separate Dining Room, Lounge, Bar and Cloakrooms in the existing area but also incorporating space currently providing Apsley games/TV Room, Linen Room and 3 study bedrooms. Alongside this is to be a new Administrative area. Room with space for storage, reprographics on the ground floor and three offices on a mezzanine floor above (General Purposes, November 1991) Apsley to have a ‘vertical division’ allowing for 50 boys on each floor - the Housemaster will keep his present accommodation with the addition of one bedroom claimed from the Warden’s first floor accommodation. New living quarters for a resident House Tutor will be erected on the first and second floors of the MCR Lounge, with the House Nurse occupying new surroundings in the existing roof space.The new extension will also provide space for additional pupil study/bedrooms./showers/W.C.s/ TV/Games Room on the first and second floors (General Purposes, November 1991) With the whole series of building changes being proposed there is undoubted disagreement and disadvantages that go along with them. Decision taken to prioritise the work as follows: Phase1 - Kitchen/Dining Room, Masters Common Room, Administrative Offices, Warden’s Residence. Phase 2 (again in order of priority) One new Boarding House for 50 ‘possibly on the site of the tennis courts