Maintaining and growing an estate fit for the present and the future
Westminster School and Westminster Under School are historic institutions set largely within a UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of London, comprising numerous buildings across various sites and covering more than 400 years in age.
On top of the regular ongoing maintainance of the existing estate and increasing sustainability to make a greener future for Westminster, the move to full co-education by 2030 and expansion of the Under School means this is a particularly busy time for planning, development and building.
This page details significant recent and upcoming projects as part of the ongoing Estates Masterplan.
Chapter House
Opened in 2026, Chapter House is Westminster’s largest single development of recent times. A former office building with 3,266 square meters of floor space set over four storeys, Chapter House is now state-of-the-art school building housing classrooms, laboratories, library, dining room, assembly space, specialist music teaching and rehearsal rooms, and office spaces.
Westminster Under School
Adrian House
The School’s central hub since 1981, Adrian House is now undergoing a full renovation to ready it for the School’s new pre-prep years. Due to open in early 2027, all children from Reception to Year 2 will be based in this late-Victorian red brick which over looks Vincent Square. Set over six floors, its mix of small and large spaces are perfect for the School’s youngest children.
George House
Long a secondary building that added more space, George House is once again transforming to meet the needs of the School, with current renovations including the creation of new classrooms and French library, and temporary classroom spaces that will be used for a short period when pre-prep children first arrive in September 2026.
Outdoor classroom and play space
At 13 acres, Vincent Square is one of the largest private green spaces in central London, smaller only than the gardens of Buckingham Palace. As well as numerous sports pitches and courts, there is a large play area with lots of equipment and a space which will be transformed into an outdoor learning space, with planning permission granted in May 2026.
Westminster School
College and Grant’s
With the arrival of girls into Westminster School from age 13 in 2028, a large programme of estates work is taking place, notably the creation of equal facilities (toilets, changing etc) throughout the site, and reconfiguration of spaces within houses. Of note is the remodelling of two boarding houses – College and Grant’s – to ensure they are ready to welcome girl boarders.
1 Barton Street – a new house
In late 2025 the School purchased 1 Barton Street, a five-floor townhouse opposite Sutcliff’s, which we plan to convert into the twelfth School house at Westminster (the first new one since 1997), a mixed day house for 60 pupils. This new house, which we hope will open in September 2027, will not only enable us slightly to reduce numbers in existing houses over time, but also slightly to increase the total number of boys and girls who can come to our School in the future and benefit from the excellent teaching and opportunities that we provide.
Hooke
To the other side of Smith Square is the home of Westminster sciences, Hooke. Named after Old Westminster Robert Hooke, the vast building contains numerous laboratories and teaching spaces for biology, chemistry and physics, as well as product design, electronics and a roof-top observatory for astronomy. Work planned for summer 2026 will see the configuration of the building’s main foyer to become and exciting and welcoming space, which will host displays and exhibitions.
Tufton Street
In 2023 the School acquired number 11 Tufton Street, a 1,200sqm, 1920s retail and office building immediately adjacent to the Manoukian Music Centre. Currently used as School office space, plans could see this building become a new performing arts centre for Westminster, linked directly to the Manoukian, and including a multi-purpose performing arts space (theatre / concert-hall with state-of the art sight-lines and acoustics) for use by our musicians, actors and dancers, as well as for other School, charitable and commercial purposes. At present there is no confirmed plan or set timetable for work at 11 Tufton Street.
Yard
Little Dean’s Yard is the central hub of the School, through which all pupils and staff pass on their way to class, their houses, or Abbey. Overlooked by both the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey it is a picture-perfect space. Whilst not a full overhaul of Yard, upcoming remodelling work will make it greener and more welcoming – a space in which it is more enjoyable to sit and to play.
