Western Quad

It was in March 2008 that the School first publicised its intention to develop the western part of the School’s campus, now known as the Western Quad. On these two pages we celebrate the success of the first stage of this development, the building of a new Sports Centre and at the same time announce our vision for Science, the last major phase of this transformational scheme.

On a rather chilly, but thankfully dry, Saturday morning (5th March), we were delighted to welcome Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the organising committee for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, as our Guest of Honour at the official opening of the Uppingham School Sports Centre.

The four times Olympic medal winner and former MP, addressing a gathering of 1,200 including pupils, parents and staff, said: “It will be centres like this that will be able to build on the extraordinary excitement, the exposure of young people to extraordinary things both in Olympic and Paralympic sport in the next year. I hope the basis of many Olympic teams in years to come will be honed and fashioned in Uppingham’s sports hall.”

Lord Coe, who was presented with his own School rugby shirt during the ceremony, said that Uppingham had made the investment in the centre for the “broader social perspectives” that sport offers, and he added that he was pleased to be at a school that “does not tuck sport away at the edge of the curriculum.” Before the official opening ceremony he had enjoyed a tour of the USSC, seeing pupils give demonstrations in each of the different areas of the facility. This was followed by a Q & A session, when twelve of Uppingham’s elite sporting pupils had a chance to put their questions to Lord Coe. After the opening ceremony, Lord Coe

joined parents and friends in a marquee on The Leicester rugby pitch to raise a toast to the new Sports Centre.

The Headmaster said: “It was a huge privilege for us that such a fantastic sportsman as Lord Coe honoured us by officially opening our superb new Sports

Centre. The new facilities have been enthusiastically welcomed by everyone at the School and in the local community. The Sports Centre project is the culmination of a vision that started four years ago and it has been worth every ounce of effort that has been put into it.”

Science at Uppingham

Science has been a cornerstone of Uppingham’s curriculum since 1882 when the first Laboratory was opened. Since then, under eminent Masters such as A C Cavell and T C Swinfen, many pupils have taken their Science education on to higher levels in medicine, engineering, technology and teaching.

The current Science Block was opened in 1957 by the Duke of Edinburgh and was a great example of how Science should be taught in its time. A further extension was added in 1967 and together these facilities have served the School well for five decades.

With the first stage of the Western Quad now completed we have an opportunity to take the next crucial step in the development of this vision for Uppingham. By making a further investment in Science we can build a Centre that is fit for the scientific challenges of the 21st Century. Built on the footprint of the old Sports Centre, the facility will take this subject to a new level at Uppingham and provide the platform for the next generation of doctors, scientists and engineers to make their mark on society.

This final phase of the plans for the Western Quad will also include a new

entrance for the Leonardo Arts Centre so that it looks over the newly created quad adjoining the Science Centre. Our aim is to begin work on site in 2012 and to open these facilities for use in 2014. The images below, showing how this part of the School looked in 2009 and how it will look just five year later, illustrate the huge transformation that will have been achieved with the support of OUs, parents and Friends of Uppingham.

The Western Quad as it was in 2009

Science Laboratories in the 1930s