Uppingham Brings 440 Years of British Heritage to Vietnam, With a Long Teaching Pipeline Ahead

Uppingham School, founded in the English Midlands in 1584 and chartered by Queen Elizabeth I in 1587, is one of the UK's most storied public schools. Now, through a partnership with Viet Capital Asset Management (VCAM), that 440-year heritage is arriving in Vietnam as Uppingham School Vietnam, the first Uppingham campus anywhere in Asia.

The founding campus opens in Hung Yen, just outside Hanoi, in Summer 2026, led by founding Headmistress Kirsty J Lowery. It will run a full PreK through Sixth Form pathway, covering ages 3 to 18 across a junior school (3 to 11), senior school (11 to 16) and sixth form (16 to 18). A second campus is already on the drawing board for Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City, billed on the school's own site as "coming soon".

What kind of school is this?

On quality, Uppingham is leaning hard on the things the British independent sector is known for: holistic education, strong pastoral care, a broad co-curricular programme, and what the school calls its "purpose and priorities", curiosity, global awareness, a sense of community, and innovation. The project is being positioned not as a short logo-licensing deal but as a long-term, multi-campus investment by VCAM, with construction partner BOHO building out purpose-designed learning spaces that blend British heritage, modern design and nature.

For a sense of seriousness behind the launch, Uppingham Hung Yen's founding head already represented the school on a panellist at the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) 2026, the historic UK association for leading independent school heads.

Why it matters for teachers

Two campuses, a 3 to 18 age range, and a founding team being built from scratch mean Uppingham School Vietnam will be hiring across nearly every subject and phase over the coming years. Expect roles in Early Years and primary, English, maths and the sciences, humanities, languages, the arts, PE and co-curricular, plus leadership posts such as heads of department, phase leaders, and eventually a founding team for the Dong Nai campus near Ho Chi Minh City.

British curriculum experience and a genuine commitment to pastoral and co-curricular life will be the common thread. For international school educators already in South-east Asia, this is one of the cleaner expansion stories to watch: a well-known name, serious capital behind it, and a stated plan to grow from one campus to two, which means the job pipeline here should run for several years, not a single hiring season.

You can see the school's profile in our directory on the Uppingham School Vietnam listing, or visit the official school site directly.