Groundbreaking Scheme at St Paul’s Cathedral School!

St Paul’s Cathedral School started the construction of a new boarding house for choristers in July. The new facility, built over three floors including staff accommodation, will provide much needed modern accommodation for one of the world’s finest choirs.

The project is part of a larger scheme which will include the creation of new classroom space, and refurbished residential apartments for staff.  St Paul’s Cathedral School educates over 220 day pupils, and its 30+ choristers live on site. It aims not only to secure the future of the choristers but to enhance education provision across the City.

Patrons to the school building project are TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester while School Bursar, Martin Kiddle, will be overall project manager. Alderman William Russell, Alderman of the Ward of Breadstreet (in which the school is based) and the next Lord Mayor from November, turned the first sod at a ceremony on Monday 15 July.

Support for Flagship Music Programme & Other Partnerships

The Very Revd Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral and Chair of Governors, says, “Choristership is central to the Cathedral’s life and its tradition of sung worship, which has been a mainstay of the Cathedral for over 800 years. This new development will provide much needed space for the School and enable us to extend the offer we can give to visiting choirs as well as enhancing support for our flagship music outreach programme”

Also attending the groundbreaking ceremony was Neil Chippington, CSA’s Chair and Headmaster of St John’s College School, Cambridge. Neil was predecessor to St Paul’s Headmaster, Simon Larter-Evans and orginated the project.

High Demand for Chorister Boarding

Demand for both day school places and for choristerships is very high. The boarding accommodation will secure choristership for the nation’s cathedral well into the next century. The project will cost £7.9M, and the new boarding accommodation will open in September 2020.

Simon explains: “What started as a real need to improve accommodation for choristers has become a much bigger project. It will have a positive impact on teaching and learning across the city. Planning for the build has been meticulous, and our chosen contractor, Borras, (winner of many Considerate Contractor Awards) understands the demands and needs of schools. We are equally delighted to be working with architects Kilburn Nightingale.

We look forward to transforming the School and ensuring the continuation of sung worship at St Paul’s Cathedral through the 21st century and beyond. The new boarding house will also prove an outstanding opportunity for sharing our music-making expertise with visiting choirs and we look forward to forging new partnerships further afield in years to come.”

The construction site is a contained compound, and the children will be able to see the building grow, with many opportunities to learn about the construction process.”

The other phases of the development will be complete by September 2021 from when the day school will then move from one to two form entry in Pre-Prep.

More information about the project can be found here.