St Edward’s School in Oxford has unveiled ambitious plans for a new sports centre and outdoor facilities, designed for both its pupils and the wider community, according to our Local Democracy Reporter Esme Kenney.
The proposals include a state-of-the-art sports hall alongside new pitches and landscaped areas.
The boarding and day school for 13 to 18 year-olds intends to submit a planning application shortly. The scheme would deliver a new sports hall with a rowing tank, indoor hockey pitch, strength and cardio suites, and spectator facilities.
Additional facilities include football and rugby pitches, a cricket field, netball courts, and a new athletics track. Landscaping works would also introduce an observatory and a grass amphitheatre for outdoor performances.
Headmaster Alastair Chirnside emphasised the community benefits of the scheme. He said:
“We want this to be a centre for community and for sport in Oxford. We’ve designed it with the needs of the community beyond the school in mind, as well as the things that we need for the children that go to school at Teddies.
“We also think creating an outdoor space for people to be in and learn in will be good for their wellbeing, not just for our children but also for other children too.
“I think it’s a hugely exciting project and we hope it will be looked upon favourably by the planning authorities and that we’ll get permission to do it in the next few years.”
The facilities will be free to book for nearly 30 local schools, charities, and organisations, including the River Learning Trust and Northern House Academy. These groups will have access during mornings and evenings outside school hours.
Mr Chirnside added:
“It won’t be an open house because the safeguarding rules around schools make that impossible, but we would like to see regular bookings and weekly commitments for organisations to use these amazing facilities as widely as we can.”
The headmaster noted that the school is set to grow to 840 pupils next September, its maximum capacity, and said new sports facilities were needed to accommodate both this expansion and the increasing number of girls playing cricket and football.
The development will be built on the site of the school’s existing golf course, which will not be replaced. Mr Chirnside said:
“It is a loss in the project, but it’s about getting the best use of the facilities for the greatest number of people. In and around Oxford there is much demand and need for pitches for cricket and football than there is for a golf course within Oxford.”
If approved, the first phase of outdoor works could begin in Spring 2026, with the rest of the development completed in the following years.
