Uppingham School to open first overseas school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Uppingham School is set to go global after plans were unveiled last week to develop its first overseas school.

On Friday, the school finalised a partnership with Viet Capital Education to develop and build a new boarding school in the Vietnamese capital, Ho Chi Minh City.

Uppingham Vietnam will be the first purpose-built branded school with full boarding facilities in the country and will open in 2023.

“We are honoured and excited to be partnering with VCAM to open Uppingham’s first overseas school," said Dr Richard Maloney, headteacher of Uppingham School.

"Through this partnership we have the opportunity to design and build a state-of-the-art, purpose-built school which brings together the best of Uppingham and South-East Asia.

“Our relationship will establish strong educational ties between our two nations, and Uppingham Vietnam will bring myriad opportunities for everyone who is part of the global Uppingham community."

The partnership ceremony was done via video link, with contracts signed simultaneously in Uppingham and at the British Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam's ambassador to the UK, Nguyen Hoang Long, visited Uppingham to witness the ceremony before taking a tour of the school.

Uppingham Vietnam will be a co-educational school for children aged 11 to 18 who can choose to be day students, weekday boarders or full boarders.

As well as state-of-the-art classrooms and art and science buildings, plans include a gymnasium, swimming pool, and sports pitches.

Uppingham School says the new facility will strengthen its bursaries programme, and also allow students to work with peers from across the world.

Viet Capital Education is an investment fund managed by Viet Capital Asset Management (VCAM) which offers management and advisory services for investors.

Pho Pham, CEO of VCAM, said: "We aspire for Uppingham Vietnam to become a true alternative for Vietnamese students who may otherwise have considered studying abroad at a top school in the UK or elsewhere.”