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

P AGE N O : 129 what had been the back garden of the ‘Hollies in South Parade). Already the new floor has been laid for the new Music School and the roof structures are plainly visible (Chronicle) The former laundry and maintain departments have been moved and a ‘temporary’ wooden Music School built between the old Sanatorium and the Bursary in the Cooper Quad. The “Quad of the Future” announced including a new Hall (Velodrome), new Library and Academic Centre, all to be situated in the south-east corner of the present Quad. Planning permission now applied for with construction expected between 2018-2020 (April “Chronicle”) New Music School due to open in January 2017. It is faced in a mellow yellow brick colour with a copper roof. the new building will be connected to the renovated domestic staff quarters by a two storey block for the Clerk of Works (and his furniture stores). Builders are Galbraith Brothers of London and Oxford (Autumn 1962 “Chronicle”) The new Music School will contain twenty practice rooms, seven Ensemble rooms, a Rock & Roll ‘Fenton’ Recording Studio, three classrooms, a recital/rehearsal room, The ‘Ferguson’ Music Library, various offices and a staff room (“Chronicle”) The prospective New Hall will accommodate up to 600 people in the audience, for whole School assemblies there can be room for 680 in the audience and a further 100 on stage. ‘The School are happy with this’. (Compliance & Safeguarding Committee minutes February 2015) The Chairman of Northern House has found a new 3.5. acre site in Cowley and agents understand their current site would be available at £2 million (£3,020,000 today). The School is considering its options which are several and varied. (General Services Committee Minutes February 2015). Due to the funds involved the Northern House Project, now bogged down, may have to be dropped altogether (Education Committee Minutes March 2015) A visit (by Governors) made to the ‘Descartes’ a classroom in the Cooper Quad, originally part of the old doctor’s surgery, was ‘visually disappointing’ - carpets needed replacing and walls repainting. A visit to the main Mathematics Department was much more satisfactory and fit for purpose. Plans for Classroom Block progressing swiftly with planning permission expected in the Autumn of 2015. Cost estimates are £5 million (£7,550,000 today) for the Block itself, £2 million (£3,020,000 today) for the Library and £12million (£18,120,000 today) for replacing the Hall Feasibility Study to proceed with the Concert Hall on the Lemon Tree Site has resulted in a recommendation the School should not proceed further. Reasons include insufficient space, together with allied amenities; there being no internal or external champions who be prepared to raise the the funds necessary nor underwrite the the costs of a significant building programme. Unlike Cambridge, there are no local orchestras good enough to merit Arts Council funding to underpin the artistic reputation of the venture. The Governors agree that with the possibility of developing the New Hall into a good School facility, the Northern House opportunity and the Concert Hall Project should be shelved for the time being. (Governors Meeting Minutes June 2015). 2016 - Warden Stephen Jones announces ‘The Quad of the Future’ in the April 2106 edition of the “Chronicle”. He states it will complete ‘Simeon’s Dream’ of 1877 and be a ‘game changer’ altering the academic life of St. Edward’s. The new development will provide a a purpose-built library, a spacious and flexible university-style academic centre and in the final phase a striking new hall (a Velodrome) with room for 1000 people. This new development will complete the south-east corner of Simeon’s original Quad and provide a and attractive mini-quad beyond. The architect will be Nick Hardy of TSH Architects, and planning permission will be submitted to Oxford City Council within a week and construction it is hoped will start in 2018 with completion in 2020 (“Chronicle”April 2016)