Ground-breaking Announcement at Uplands

A High-Performance Centre will be developed on the Uplands campus to further enhance the world-class sporting facilities available at this leading private school in Mpumalanga.

Uplands High-performance Centre designed by the well-known Lowveld architect Mr Gerhard Jooste of GJ Architects

White River – Uplands Executives, Staff and Board members gathered to witness the exciting ground-breaking on Tuesday 26 July in the company of certain key media. The project is set to be completed by the end of 2022 and the Uplanders are looking forward to seeing this important facility integrated into the development of their pupils. The 618 square metre facility is designed as an open area space that allows for multi-faceted training equipment, while the second phase will include space for physiotherapy and biokinetics rooms. With the main school gym being incorporated into the High-Performance Centre, the current gym will provide a dedicated space for a Pilates and Yoga studio.

Ryan McCarthy and Mike Gill

Mike Gill – BA (Hons) Sport Science and current Sports Coordinator at Uplands College – is tremendously excited about the new Uplands High-Performance Centre. He comments that “this facility will allow us to further develop the holistic athlete with a core focus on sports performance and wellness.” The highly qualified staff members will facilitate personalised programmes to support the pupils in their various sports and fitness regimes.

Designed by the well-known Lowveld architect Mr Gerhard Jooste of GJ Architects, the building has a definitive architectural style which was designed to fit into the Uplands landscape and ensures that the style makes a statement as well. This was created by designing a “barn-style” building with stone silos to speak to the rural setting of the school. Specific detail of the school architecture was then added to this barn-style building. The use of the characteristic Uplands precast columns, face brick white cottage pane steel windows, cream plastered walls and olive-green roofs will complete the identity of the building which blends naturally with the beautiful macadamia orchards surrounding it.

Uplands is a family-orientated boarding and day school that caters for children from Grade 0000 to Grade 12 and offers a plethora of academic, sports and cultural activities for pupils. Set upon a 110-hectare countryside estate in White River in Mpumalanga, the school has been in existence since 1928 and has deep connections within the surrounding communities through Uplands Outreach which works collaboratively in two Mpumalanga circuits with school leaders, teachers, and pupils in a proven systemic alignment approach to enable continuous learning.

Competitiveness is an important skill and preparing our pupils for the real world is a key objective of the school. “The importance of healthy living and wellness is taken seriously at Uplands,” says Executive Head, Mr Sean Carlisle. “We believe that the addition of the Uplands High-Performance Centre will position the school further as a leading private school that has a unique family co-educational day and boarding school”.

Ryan McCarthy, Sports Coordinator at Uplands Preparatory, believes that all of the athletes will benefit from this High-Performance Centre. “Onwards and upwards for all involved at Uplands.”

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