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

P AGE N O : 105 east of the Sports Centre in order to start ‘thinning out’ Cowell’s/Segar’s/Macnamara’s and Tilly’s, Residential accommodation for teachers, preferably on the old piggeries site, One Girls’ Boarding House either on the Northern House site or the the old Sanatorium site and finally Phase 3 A further Boarding House for 50 pupils and lastly the Science Block lavatories (General Purposes, September 1991) At the Governors’ Meeting that follows it is decided that accommodation in the four Quad Boarding Houses is inferior to Apsley where the loss of six pupils spaces ‘was not welcome’. If the Apsley Housemaster occupies the first and second floors of the Warden’s House, his present area could be allocated for pupils’ space. This would in turn mean that alternative housing for this House Master would need to be found and agreement is reached to purchase 53 Oakthorpe Road for this purpose. Architects are also requested to produce outline plans for the conversion of 289 Woodstock Road into the Warden’s Residence and 177 Woodstock Road for the Bursar. All other plans are to be reviewed (Governors’ Meeting, October 1991) Ten Year Plan revised thus, changing the priorities.: - Kitchens and School House, alterations to 277 and 289 Woodstock Road and conversion of the original School Shop to offices for the Bursary. There will be few changes to the Kitchen/Dining Room plans. The changes for the Masters’ Common Room and Administrative areas will go ahead as planned and subtle changes to Apsley’s needs will mean the House Nurse relocating to the first floor of the present Housemaster’s flat, the second floor will be used for pupil accommodation and the present Nurses flat converted for use by a newly appointed residential tutor with the surgery and sick room becoming study bedrooms. The Housemaster will occupy the present first and second floors of the Warden’s House. A new entrance lobby and stairway will be provided for the use of the Warden’s House ground floor premises as at present. Architects had surveyed 277 and 289 Woodstock Road concluding that the latter could be converted into a family home for the Warden (with the Bursar leaving), after which internal alterations and decorations together with a two-storey extension to provide five bedrooms with a study and reasonably sized public rooms. The Second Master agrees to vacate 277 Woodstock Road ‘providing alternative housing can be found’. This house needs refurbishing and advantage should be taken to replace the present boiler and to improve lighting into the kitchen - no structural changes need be made. The Second Master will move into the newly purchased 53 Oakthorpe Road ‘subject to survey’ at a price of £172,000 (£528,040 today). A further property at 293 Woodstock Road may become available and ‘should also be purchased’ (General Purposes, November 1991) All-weather sports field laid down and in use by the start of the Autumn Term (on budget) and officially named the ‘Fisher Field’ (Governors’ Meeting, October 1991) Approach made from Barratt’s, the Builders, to construct residential housing on School land to the north west of the playing fields, currently the School’s golf course. This is turned down by the Governors (Governors’ Meeting, October 1991) School end interest in the warehouse site on 264-266 Woodstock Road after their last bid of £230,000 £706,100 today) is turned down by the vendors (Governors’ Meeting, November 1991) Proposal made to create a reception area on the ground floor of the Lodge with offices for the Director of Studies, Registrar, O.S.E. Secretary and Development Officer. This would also allow permit the re-allocation of a bedroom to the Head Porter. The Bursarial staff would be relocated to the original School Shop area (Governors’ Meeting, November 1991) The School Shop is to be confined to selling toiletries, confectionery and stationery which will require the use of half the premises (Governors’ Meeting, November 1991) School decide to purchase 293 Woodstock Road in preference to 53 Oakthorpe Road, as the former backs onto the School’s grounds (Governors’ Meeting, November 1991) Estimated costs for all the priority schemes, now agreed, will be £1,685,000 (£5,172,950 today)