St. Edward's School (known colloquially as 'Teddies') is a co-educational, independent boarding school (an English public school) in Oxford, England. It is one of the most famous schools in England, and one of the major Victorian public schools of the 19th century.
Approximately sixty students live in each of its twelve boarding houses. The school is a member of the Rugby Group, the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, and the Oxfordshire Independent and State School Partnership. Termly fees in 2011 were £12,190 for boarding and £9,755 for day pupils.
The school teaches the GCSE, A Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) qualifications. The sixth form is split evenly between pupils studying A Levels and studying the IB.
Video St Edward's School, Oxford
History
The school was founded in 1863 by the Rev. Thomas Chamberlain, student of Christ Church and vicar of St Thomas the Martyr. The original school building was Mackworth Hall, which then stood on New Inn Hall Street in central Oxford.
In 1873, after a storm damaged the school buildings and in anticipation of growing numbers, the Rev. A. B. Simeon, first Warden, moved the school to Summertown. At the time, the site was on the boundary of Oxford and surrounded by farmland, and Rev. Simeon bought a large plot for the school. The school remains on the 100-acre (0.40 km2) site today, with the Quadrangle and playing fields on opposite sides of Woodstock Road.
Rev. Simeon created a private school with monastic-style buildings around a quadrangle. St. Edward's is the second largest quadrangle in Oxford, second only to Tom Quad at Christ Church. The original buildings were designed by William Wilkinson. The north range was built in 1873 and 1886, the gatehouse in 1879, and the east range including Big School and the library in 1881. Wilkinson's most significant building at St.Edward's is the chapel, built in 1876.
In the First World War more St. Edward's pupils, pro rata, went to serve their country than from any other independent school in the UK. In Chapel the names of those former pupils who had lost their lives on the front line were announced. The walls of the chapel are lined with plaques remembering those former pupils who died in the Boer War, First World War, Second World War and subsequent wars.
The school flourished under the guidance of Warden Kendall from 1925 to 1954. In the 1930s, a subway was built underneath the Woodstock Road following the death of a pupil who was run over by a car. The subway was the first to be built in Oxford and is still used today. Its walls are painted in the school colours.
In the Second World War air raid shelters were dug into the grass of the Quad. The School was presented with a stained glass window by the RAF at the end of the War in recognition of "the superb contribution to the war effort made by former pupils of the School". These included, among many others, Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC DSO DFC of 617 Squadron, who led 'The Dambusters', flying ace Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader DSO DFC, and Adrian Warburton DSO & Bar DFC& Two Bar, famous for his role in the defence of Malta. Pacifist inclinations during the 1970s and 1980s caused the window to be relocated, but it can now be found back on display in the Old Library.
In 1982, the school admitted its first girl, who joined in the Lower Sixth. The 11th Warden, David Christie, brought about an enormous change to the school when he fully developed the idea of allowing girls to join for the last two years of school (known as the Sixth Form). Following the success of a co-educational Sixth Form, the whole school became fully co-educational in 1997. In 1999, Holly Branson, daughter of Sir Richard Branson, became the school's first ever female Head Prefect and Head of School.
There is a large mural in the school dining hall that depicts life at St. Edward's. Included in the painting are a number of the characters from The Wind in the Willows, written by former pupil Kenneth Grahame.
Recent history
In 2005 St Edward's School was one of fifty independent schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel which enabled the schools to inflate fees artificially. Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.
July 2007 marked the official opening of The North Wall Arts Centre. The centre has been built on the site of the old school swimming pool, which was the oldest swimming pool in the country. The North Wall Arts Centre is run by Co-Artistic Directors Ria Parry and John Hoggarth, and is a producing theatre. The North Wall is central to the school, strengthening its links with the local community, which has been seen by many as vital given the current political debate on the charitable status of public schools.
The North Wall Arts Centre won several major architectural awards for its design, including a RIBA award.
The new Martyrs' cricket Pavilion, designed by architect John Pawson, was opened in 2009 and won the 2010 Oxford Preservation Trust award in the New Buildings category.
Maps St Edward's School, Oxford
Houses
There are 12 boarding houses which are home to approximately 50-60 boys or girls. Each house is run by Housemaster or Housemistress who is a member of the teaching staff at the school and lives in the boarding house with their family. Each house also has a set of House Tutors who supervise Prep (homework) during the week and also tutor members of the house. Each House also has a dedicated matron who looks after pupils' medical (and often social) needs.
The school has around 120-day pupils, a small proportion of the total. Day pupils are expected to be in school from 8.30 am Monday to Saturday. During the week, they may choose to depart at 6.30pm, or to stay in school until 9.00pm so that they have supper, complete supervised prep, take part in extra-curricular activities and enjoy leisure time with their friends. On Saturdays, day pupils leave after afternoon sport or other commitments. The school does not have day houses: all day pupils have a room within a boarding house and in most cases have their own bed and wardrobe. This policy means that the school does not have a day/boarder divide. Teachers often do not know who is a day pupil and who is not.
Cowell's
- House Colour: Spartan Crimson
- House Letter: 'A'
- Housemaster: Jeremy Mather (2015-)
Named after a former long serving teacher, Cowells is a quad based house. The building that Cowell's currently occupies was shared with Segar's until 2004 when Segars moved into a new building next door. Upon Segars moving, the building was refurbished and Cowell's house was expanded to occupy the upper two floors of the building. The English Department occupies the ground floor.
Sing's
- House Colour: Yellow
- House Letter: 'B'
- Housemaster: Mathew Parker
Sing's was originally located in the same building as the current Apsley House up to 1965. It is now located on the playing fields of the school, sharing a quad with Field House and Kendall House. It was built in the 1960s and first inhabited in 1965. It is attached at one end to Field House. Sing's House overlooks St. Edward's Avenue and the Avenue playing field. In 2009 a new extension was completed which improved the size and atmosphere of the house. This was part of a project to re-decorate all rooms and re-furbish them. In 2014 the house common rooms were updated and a new kitchen built.
Field House
- House Colour: Eton Blue
- House Letter: 'C'
- Housemaster: Mark Hanslip (2013-present)
One of the few houses in the school whose official name includes the word House in it. Field House was originally located off the school grounds further up the Woodstock Road off Squitchey Lane on what was then the former fields surrounding Oxford. Pupils in Field House used to have to walk the mile down the Woodstock Road to school. In the mid 1960s the school sold the original Field House and moved the boys into a new purpose built building on the school playing fields. Presumably due to its situation, Field House has always had a particularly strong sporting tradition, which has been carried on by the present housemaster Mark Hanslip. The original Field House today is a block of flats but is marked on the Woodstock Road by Field House Drive. Until September 2003, Field House and Sing's had a joint house matron. Former housemasters include Robert Aldred, Geoffery Boult (OSE and current headmaster of Giggleswick School)and Richard Murray who retired as housemaster in 2013 to take up a new role at as head master at Christ Church. James Quick (current headmaster of the preparatory school of Gresham's School) became the first person to have been housemaster of two St. Edward's houses, having been Apsley housemaster from 1994-2000. A Field House OSE, Tom Pellereau won the British reality show The Apprentice. According to the 2010-2011 edition of the School's official magazine, St. Edward's Chronicle, Kim Aris, the younger son of Nobel Prize-winning Burmese democracy campaigner, Aung San Suu Kyi and Michael Aris, was a member of Field House in the early 1990s.
Macnamara's
- House Colour: Hot Pink
- House Letter: 'D'
- Housemistress: Kate Newson (2016-)
Macnamara's (or Mac's as it is known) was originally a boys' house. It is connected to Tilly's and is located in the Quad. In 1997 the house was changed into a girls' house upon the school becoming fully co-educational.
Apsley
- House Colour: Pink
- House Letter: 'E'
- Housemaster: Ollie Richards (2011-)
Apsley was originally located up the Banbury Road. Today a block of flats called Apsley House occupies the original site. The house now sits in the quad opposite Tilly's and Mac's above the school dining hall and Warden's offices. In 1997 the Warden's residence was moved to a property on the Woodstock Road and as a result Apsley was extended.
Tilly's
- House Colour: Green
- House Letter: 'F'
- Housemaster: Andrew Grounds (2017-)
Tilly's is named after Warden Tilly. It is located in the Quad and is attached to Mac's. It has recently been refurbished to allow four new Sixth Form rooms, Assistant HM and resident tutor accommodation.
Segar's
- House Colour: Purple
- House Letter: 'G'
- Housemaster: Simon Roche
Segar's was originally located in the same building as Cowell's but in 2004 the house moved into a brand new building next to the Cowell's/Segar building. The new Segar's Building was built on the site of the old Oakthorpe Road back entrance to the school.
Segar's has a traditional a rivalry with Cowells -- the house Segar's shared the a building with until 2004.
Corfe
- House Colour: Forest Green
- House Letter: 'K'
- Housemistress: Eve Singfield (2009- )
Corfe is named after Corfe Castle which has strong ties with Saint Edward the Martyr. It was extended in the 1990s. It was originally a boys' boarding house although in 1999 it closed it doors to boys. In a rather surprising move, the name Corfe stayed with the boarding house rather than the cohort of boys who had lived in it. So for a time between 1999 and 2004, some boys in the school had been members of both Corfe and Kendall House (the newly built house the boys moved into). To complicate matters, the letter "H", which was used to identify Corfe in shorthand became the shorthand for Kendall House. Thus the shorthand letter followed the boys but the name of the house didn't. Today Corfe is one of two girls' houses located on the playing fields and is identified by the letter "K".
Oakthorpe
- House Colour: Pale Blue
- House Letter: 'J'
- Housemistress: Elizabeth Boast (2015-)
Oakthorpe was opened in 1997 for the first year of full co-education and takes its name from its situation on Oakthorpe Road.
Kendall House
- House Colour: Dark Blue
- House Letter: 'H'
- Housemaster: Philip Waghorn
Kendall House was opened in 1999 to accommodate the boys of Corfe who had moved out to make way for the girls to move into Corfe. Upon its completion it formed the Kendall Quad on the playing field side of the school, with Field House and Sing's forming the other sides of the quad. Kendall overlooks Upper One, the school's premier rugby pitch. Kendall is identified by the letter "H". It is the most modern boys house in the school (1999) therefore the house is very modern and generally viewed by pupils as one of the best houses.It has a great rivalry with Field House due to their proximity.
Avenue House
- House Colour: Peach
- House Letter: 'M'
- Housemistress: Rachel Bellamy
Avenue House was opened in 2001. It was originally built in two phases with the second phase opening in 2004. It is situated on St. Edward's Avenue hence its name. It is a girls' house and is situated on the school playing fields. It is connected to Corfe. For a time, prior to the opening of the second phase, some girls were housed in the former school medical centre, Cooper Lodge.
Jubilee House
- House Colour: Purple
- House Letter: 'N'
- Housemistress: Phaedra Gowen
Jubilee officially opened in September, 2013. It is currently the most modern girls boarding house as well as the most modern boarding house in the school. It is situated next to Kendall House and it overlooks onto Upper One, the school's premier rugby pitch. Its current housemistress is Mrs Gowen.
Sport
The main school sports are rugby, hockey, cricket, rowing, netball, tennis, squash and athletics. The school has over 90 acres (360,000 m2) of playing fields in North Oxford.
The school has many inter-house sports events including the Steeplechase, and inter-house hockey, rugby, netball, squash, swimming and football among others. The Steeplechase is the school's annual cross country race, it is held once a year. The Sixth Form race in the Senior Steeplechase which is a 4-mile (6.4 km) race across Port Meadow the floodplain of the River Thames, accessed from the school grounds via the Oxford Canal towpath. The Junior Steeplechase, meanwhile, confines itself to within the school grounds.
The school has a regular fixture list against other major UK public schools. Some of the fixtures on the fixture list have been played on the same weekend each year for decades. In boys' sports the schools main rivals include Radley College and Marlborough College and in girls sports, Marlborough, Stowe, and Oundle School.
In rowing the school has won The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta on four occasions. The only British schools to have won the event more than this are Eton College and St Paul's School, London. In 2013 the boys 1st VIII boat rowed in the fastest Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup final ever seen at Henley, chasing the holders Abingdon School down to within half a length. Both crews beat the existing course record, having dispatched other leading international schools on the way to the final. In 2014, the boys 1st VIII were again the losing finalists, this time to Eton in another very close race. Having won Henley events seven times, (including three years as winners of the now discontinued Special Race for Schools) and been the losing finalist seven times, St. Edward's School is the third most successful boys' rowing school behind Eton College and Shrewsbury School. The school regularly provides rowers for Great Britain junior crews before going on to compete in the annual Oxbridge boat race or at Ivy League Universities.
Recent successes in hockey have included making the National Finals for both boys' and girls' hockey. The girls hockey has been particularly strong over the last ten years and teams are frequently County Champions. In 2013/14 the school had both boys and girls in Regional, National and Great Britain squads. In 2010 the boys hockey 1st XI won the inaugural Charlie Barker Trophy, a competition between local rival schools including Radley College, Eton College, Marlborough College, Abingdon School and Cheltenham College and finished the season unbeaten.
The 1st XV of 2007 were only beaten in one game, becoming the first team to do so since 1998 and there are some six former or present pupils in their respective age group's England development squads/teams including James Forrester. The school has in recent years had an 82% success rate in Rugby Sevens. Smaller in number than many of their rivals, they frequently punch above their weight, aided by strong coaching throughout the school.
Cricket has been particularly strong in recent years, culminating in the 2013 season which was one of the most successful in the School's history for the 1st XI, which included victories over Radley College, Harrow, Uppingham School and Cheltenham College.
The school regularly sends teams on foreign sports tours. The girls netball team had a very successful tour to Barbados in 2014, and a combined girls hockey and boys rugby tour to Australia is planned in 2015.
A book about sport at the School, "Come on Teddies" has recently been published.
- Facilities
Sports facilities include:
- Indoor Sports Hall
- 2 All Weather Astro Turf Pitches
- 9 hole Golf Course
- Boat House located on the River Thames in the nearby village of Wolvercote
- Purpose Built Netball Courts
- Basketball Court
- 15 Rugby Pitches
- 8 Cricket Pitches
- Swimming Pool (within the Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Gym/St. Edward's Sports Centre)
- Indoor Tennis Courts (within the Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Gym/St.Edward's Sports Centre)
- Squash Courts
- Gym (within the Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Gym/St. Edward's Sports Centre)
The School is home to the Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Gym. It was originally built as an Esporta gym on the site of the school's former sports centre (The Douglas Bader Sports Centre) and outdoor swimming pool in 1999 and opened in 2000. Within the club the school has its own sports hall, named the Douglas Bader Sports Hall. As part of the agreement between St. Edward's and successive gym managers, pupils have free access to the club's gym and squat rack. The gym was renovated in the summer of 2013, with new equipment including three bench presses, and a curl rack.
Teddies also host touring schools. The most notable of these is The King's School, Sydney who come to St. Edward's to play rugby once every two years when on their UK tour.
Military links
The school has links with the armed forces, in particular The Royal Air Force. A large number of former pupils have gone on to serve in the forces, most notably Second World War heroes Arthur Banks, Douglas Bader, Guy Gibson and Adrian Warburton. In the Warden's Dining Room the school has on display a stained glass window presented to them by the Royal Air Force to thank them for their role in the education of Second World War heroes. To this day the school maintain a Combined Cadet Force. The school also has a scholarship fund to assist pupils whose parents are in the armed forces.
Alumni (OSE)
Former pupils of St. Edward's are known as Old St Edwards, abbreviated to OSE. The Old St. Edward's Society exists to maintain traditions and to promote the interests of the School, and to encourage mutual help between those who are and those who have been its members. It consists of past and present Wardens and members of the Masters' Common Room and all former pupils.
The society is run by a President and Secretary. Each year a new OSE President is elected. The OSE Society organise Special Gaudies for former pupils. Special Gaudies are held twice a year and are used as a means for former pupils to visit the school and see what has changed. The OSE Society also runs the very successful "OSE Undergraduate Evenings"; these evenings take place in notable university cities throughout the year, hosted by the Hon. Secretary.
All members of the society may wear the society tie which is blue, with a gold cup and dagger on it. Former pupils are entitled to wear the Rhubarb Tie.
Notable OSE include:
- Sir Peter Abbott British Admiral
- Group Captain, Sir Douglas Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar WWII pilot
- Arthur Banks, WWII pilot awarded GC
- Antony Barrington Brown, photographer and explorer
- Geoffrey Wallis Steuart Barrow DLitt FBA, FRSE, Honorary FSA Scot, British historian and academic
- Sir Russell Bencraft, cricketer
- Pippa Bennett-Warner, actress
- John Berger, art critic, novelist, painter, and author
- Richard Brooke, cricketer
- Nicholas Budgen, Conservative MP
- Sir Harold Burrough, British Admiral
- Sir Geoffrey Callender, naval historian
- Richard Carline, artist
- Peter Carter-Ruck, lawyer
- Emilia Clarke, actress
- Brian Cleeve, author and broadcaster
- Joshua Compston, gallerist
- John Davies, businessman and cabinet minister
- Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, DSO, OBE and CBE, founder of de Havilland Aircraft Company.
- George Fenton, Oscar nominated film composer
- Anthony FitzClarence, 7th Earl of Munster
- James Forrester, England rugby union international
- Paul Gibb, England Test cricketer
- Guy Gibson VC, Dambusters hero,
- Robert Gittings CBE, poet and biographer
- Jon Goodridge, rugby player
- John Galbraith Graham, crossword compiler (Araucaria)
- Kenneth Grahame, author
- Ernest George Henham, author
- Mark Herdman, diplomat, Governor of the British Virgin Islands (1986-1991)
- Sir Tom Hopkinson, journalist
- Noel Baring Hudson, DSO, MC Anglican Bishop
- Hugh Ingledew, Welsh rugby union international
- Poppy Jamie, TV Presenter
- Sir David Lewis, Lord Mayor of the City of London
- James Lockyer, Canadian lawyer and social activist
- Rob Marris Labour MP
- Norman Miscampbell, Conservative MP
- Georgia Moffett, actress
- Simon Nicholls, BBC comedy producer
- Lord (Laurence) Olivier, actor, director and producer
- Sir Derek Oulton, QC
- Hugh Padgham, record producer
- Tom Pellereau, Apprentice winner
- Florence Pugh, Actress
- Sir Nicholas Pumfrey, judge
- Georgina Rylance, actress
- Lord (Michael) Sandberg, former CEO of HSBC Group
- John Sandoe (1930-2007), bookseller
- John Silver, early member of rock band Genesis
- Jon Snow, Channel 4 newscaster
- Harmeet Singh Sooden, political activist
- Gordon Strachan, unorthodox minister
- Louis Strange, DSO OBE MC DFC WW1 pilot
- Sir David Thorne, KBE CVO
- Sir Brian Tovey, former Director of GCHQ
- Sir Stephen Tumin, judge
- Sam Waley-Cohen, Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey
- William Wallace, Baron Wallace of Saltaire
- Adrian Warburton, DSO and Bar, DFC and Two Bars, highly decorated World War II British pilot
- Sir Francis James Wylie, first Warden of Rhodes House
- Teddy Wynyard, DSO, OBE cricketer and footballer
Notable masters
Notable masters of the school include:
- The Right Reverend David Conner, KCVO, Dean of Windsor; former Bishop to the Forces (former school Chaplain)
- A. Maitland Emmet MBE, became one of Britain's foremost authorities on microlepidoptera
- Sir George Mallaby, public servant (a former housemaster)
International links
The school has built up links with a number of schools around the world, which include:
- Mayo College, India.
- An exchange programme was set up in 1997 which saw a lower sixth boy study at Mayo and a lower sixth boy from Mayo study at Teddy's.
- The Gilman School Baltimore, USA.
- Gilman and St. Edward's operate a scholarship known as the Hardie Scholarship. One Lower Sixth boy from St. Edward's studies at Gilman during March/April and a Junior from Gilman studies at St. Edward's during June.
- Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, USA.
- In 2004 St. Edward's established an exchange programme with Roland Park. The programme runs at the same time as the Harry Hardie Scholarship, with one lower sixth girl from St. Edward's studying at Roland Park and a Junior girl from Roland Park studying at St. Edward's.
- The Doon School, India.
- An exchange programme was set up in 2002 which saw a lower sixth boy study at Doon School and a lower sixth boy from Doon study at Teddy's.
- The King's School, Parramatta
- King's traditionally play Teddy's once every two years during their UK Rugby tour. 2003 was the first time Teddy's played King's in Sydney.
References
External links
- St Edward's School website
- Profile at the Good Schools Guide
- Profile at the Independent Schools Council website
- The North Wall Arts Centre
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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