Introduction

The success that The Leys has been enjoying in recent years owes itself to a number of factors: an outstanding Common Room and support staff whose care of the pupils generates excellent word-of-mouth publicity; improvements in our marketing which have increased public awareness of the exceptional educational experience this school offers; a clear and demonstrable raising of academic standards; and the development of the site, which in the last seven years has seen the construction of the Clapham Building, the Music School, a second Astro-turf pitch and an impressive new sports pavilion, as well as the high quality re-development of our boarding facilities. When I meet prospective parents after they have toured the school, I sense that they are impressed by what they have seen.

The one major facility, however, which falls below the standard of the rest of the site is our theatre. Like many 1960s buildings, it was poorly constructed, and is a poor showcase for the excellence of our work in the Performing Arts.  And in terms of the impression it makes on visitors, it is no longer in keeping with the quality of The Leys in 2011.

This was the rationale behind the idea to construct a state-of-the-art Theatre, an idea which has evolved into the most exciting and important project the school has undertaken for many years. The adjacency of the Theatre to the Thomson Building led to the inclusion of three new science laboratories in the project, and we also saw the opportunity to build on the success of the Performing Arts here, by creating a Drama Department and a Dance Studio as well. The building will be known as Great Hall, and will also, crucially, comprise an Assembly Hall for the whole school, which can be adapted, using retractable raked seating, into a more intimate theatre auditorium.

I therefore see this project as an enhancement of every sphere of school life: academic, in the provision of a drama department and major improvements to our science facilities; extra-curricular, in the addition of a theatre, drama studio and dance studio which will be a point of focus for one of the strengths of the school in recent years, our excellence in the performing arts; and pastoral, in that the Assembly Hall will provide an impressive venue where the whole school will gather each week, and which will thus, like our beautiful Chapel, be at the very heart of the community spirit which is such a special feature of The Leys.

I am filled with excitement and enthusiasm about the building of Great Hall, and the opportunities it gives us for further improvement and growth in reputation. I hope that these pages will help you to share some of this enthusiasm.