The recent acquisition of Chapter House offers a unique opportunity, and is the key to unlocking the wider transformation of Westminster into a modern twenty-first century school, welcoming boys and girls from age four to 18.

Built in 1992 Chapter House is a former office building with 3,266 square metres of floor space, set over four storeys. Its front entrance is on Chapter Street and its rear is on Hide Place, directly to the rear of Adrian House. The site will be redeveloped into a state-of-the-art building for the school and will house classrooms and larger group spaces, designed in consultation with pupils, parents and staff.

Plans include a welcoming, light-filled four-storey atrium, a large library, plus break-out spaces for formal and informal meetings beneath a central light well, light and airy classrooms, IT suites and science labs.

It also offers scope for specialist facilities for music, including a suite of teaching and practice rooms and an informal performance space. It is envisioned the finished building will include an outdoor wellbeing space on the the roof.

Work is already underway to strip-out Chapter House before the remodeling begins, and the finished building is set to open in September 2025. At this time, the School’s main current building, Adrian House, will close for full renovation for one year, to consolidate and reimagine existing spaces, ensuring that it continues to be an excellent environment to enhance the learning of boys and girls for many years to come. Adrian House will reopen in September 2026, at the point when the Under School expands to welcome children in Reception.

The performing arts at Westminster have a long history, embracing such luminaries as Henry Purcell, John Gielgud, Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Helena Bonham-Carter. The nature of the School site means music and drama are rehearsed and performed in a number of spaces, including the Millicent Fawcett Hall, the Manoukian Music Centre, and up School. All are excellent in their different ways, but none provide the dedicated performance space which a school of this stature — and pupils of this talent — really need to thrive. As the School moves to full co-education, and seeks to expand in the next few years, we anticipate an even greater demand for high-quality music, drama and dance.

The School has recently acquired 11 Tufton Street, a 1,200sqm, 1920s retail and office building immediately adjacent to the Manoukian Music Centre. Our current plans will 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 but it is hoped to be in full use as quickly as possible.