Li Kwok Po House

Li Kwok Po House, our new day house, opened in September 2024.

The house is named Li Kwok Po House after pioneering OU Dr the Honourable Sir David Li Kwok Po. On a day-to-day basis it is familiarly known as Li House.

The house itself has a rich and varied history; believed to have been built in the 1600s and added to in the 1800s, the building was privately owned until it was bought by the School in 1966.

It housed our original Design & Technology Department – the first independent school DT department in the country - so it feels very apt that this much loved building fulfils another important and pioneering role as our first day house. Li Kwok Po House is superbly located, close to the heart of the school campus, near other heritage buildings including the Chapel and Library.

Li Kwok Po House is place of friendship, care and encouragement. With welcoming and thoughtfully designed spaces in which to unwind, refuel and check-in with the house family; a place to study, shower and store their essential things. It is an environment where pupils are supported to achieve their full potential.

The House Family

Li Kwok Po House’s family set-up is exactly the same as it is in our boarding houses, the only difference is that staff and pupils return to their homes in the evening.

Each House has a House Parent, supported by a Deputy House Parent, responsible for overseeing each pupil’s pastoral care, academic progress and co-curricular involvement in the school. Every pupil is part of one of Uppingham's traditionally small tutor groups. Tutors join the House for lunch twice weekly, supervise prep and regularly meet their tutees one-to-one.

Making sure there is always a friendly face to greet and support the pupils no matter what time of day, Li Kwok Po House also has its own Matron, who plays a key role in pupil welfare and pastoral care.

Together, with the pupils, the House team create a caring and supportive community with a strong sense of House identity.

Housemaster: Nigel Breakwell
Nigel Breakwell is the inaugural Housemaster of Li Kwok Po House. Nigel is well-known to Uppingham as a Business Studies teacher and tutor, as well as having supported his wife Christina in New House, one of our girls’ boarding houses, for seven years. Nigel’s journey to education was preceded by a successful tenure in sales and management, culminating in his role as Managing Director of a food importation and exportation company in 2002. In 2006, he returned to education to obtain his degree in Sports and Exercise Science at Loughborough University alongside a teaching qualification, having discovered a passion for training and education earlier in his professional career. Throughout his teaching career, Nigel has assumed various leadership positions in secondary academies, including Head of House, Head of Year, and most recently, Assistant Principal. His expertise in school leadership, gleaned from his extensive experience within School Extended Leadership Teams, has been insightful when supporting his wife in her role as Housemistress of New House. Outside the classroom, Nigel is a passionate sportsman, with his interests including squash, golf, rugby, swimming and Thai boxing. Nigel and his wife share a love of travel, and recently took a road trip through France, Italy and Greece, with Nigel making an effort to learn Greek in order to more easily communicate with Christina’s family. During time away from School, they also enjoy the cinema, dining out and going for long dog walks in the countryside.

Housemaster: Nigel Breakwell

Nigel Breakwell is the inaugural Housemaster of Li Kwok Po House. Nigel is well-known to Uppingham as a Business Studies teacher and tutor, as well as having supported his wife Christina in New House, one of our girls’ boarding houses, for seven years.

Nigel’s journey to education was preceded by a successful tenure in sales and management, culminating in his role as Managing Director of a food importation and exportation company in 2002. In 2006, he returned to education to obtain his degree in Sports and Exercise Science at Loughborough University alongside a teaching qualification, having discovered a passion for training and education earlier in his professional career.

Throughout his teaching career, Nigel has assumed various leadership positions in secondary academies, including Head of House, Head of Year, and most recently, Assistant Principal. His expertise in school leadership, gleaned from his extensive experience within School Extended Leadership Teams, has been insightful when supporting his wife in her role as Housemistress of New House.

Outside the classroom, Nigel is a passionate sportsman, with his interests including squash, golf, rugby, swimming and Thai boxing. Nigel and his wife share a love of travel, and recently took a road trip through France, Italy and Greece, with Nigel making an effort to learn Greek in order to more easily communicate with Christina’s family. During time away from School, they also enjoy the cinema, dining out and going for long dog walks in the countryside.