The Development Plan
Building for the Future
The ‘Educating, not just teaching’ Campaign
At the heart of Milton Abbey has always been its tradition of nurturing and celebrating what is interesting, different and individual. The new vision for the school aims to maintain and build upon this tradition whilst at the same time recognising the challenges facing a 21st century boarding school and the need to update the facilities we can offer. This development heralds an exciting and ambitious time of growth for the school, which will enable us to provide the environment to support every pupil, whatever their interests and abilities, in achieving their potential.
In January 2011, the school announced a new £4 million Development Plan to support this vision. This will provide:
1) Three new state-of-the-art boarding houses along the main drive, utilising the current Housemasters’ accommodation;
2) Two refurbished boarding houses in the main building, including a house for 3rd to M6th form girls, to accommodate the move to co-education in 2012;
3) Improved teaching and learning facilities, including a new Learning Resource Centre, ICT suite and school Library.
All the boarding houses will have resident house staff, daily care provided by Matrons and top quality accommodation, including kitchens, common rooms and individual 6th form study bedrooms. The vacated space in the main building will be fully refurbished and converted to provide new teaching and learning support facilities that will be for the benefit of all pupils.
The move to co-education in 2012 means that girls will also be able to benefit from the unique culture of Milton Abbey throughout the school, and an overall increase in pupil numbers from 220 to around 300 will enable more competitive sport, music and drama activities, without losing the strengths of remaining a small school.
The ‘Educating, not just teaching’ Campaign supports these plans and aims to raise £1.5 million towards the cost of the developments, of which over half has already been committed by Old Miltonians, parents and friends of Milton Abbey.
Breaking new ground
Building work began on the new boarding houses on 24th October 2011. By September 2012 the following is scheduled to have been completed:
1) Damer and Tregonwell will move out of the main building and into the first two new boarding houses along the drive.
2) The newly renovated wing in the main building will continue to house Hambro, where it is at present, as well as accommodating Athelstan in the short term. (Athelstan is due to move out of the main building into the newly built third house along the drive in September 2014.)
3) Transformation of the new girls house will be completed in time for the new intake in 2012.
4) Vacated rooms in the main building will be converted into a new Learning Resource Centre, incorporating an ICT suite and a new school Library, plus new classrooms to help accommodate the increase in pupil numbers.
See Milton Abbey News and the Image Gallery for up-to-date news and pictures of the building project.
Should you have any questions or wish to find out more about the future of Milton Abbey please contact marketing@miltonabbey.co.uk.