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St Edward's School, Oxford

Fee-charging school in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St Edward's School, Oxford
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St Edward's School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school) in Oxford, England. It is known informally as 'Teddies'.[1]

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Approximately sixty pupils live in each of its thirteen 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 2024/2025 are £15,906 (+ VAT) for boarding and £12,725 (+ VAT) for day pupils.[2] The school is also affiliated to the Church of England.

The school teaches the GCSE, A Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) qualifications. The sixth form is split evenly between pupils studying A Levels and the IB Diploma.

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History

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The school was founded in 1863 by Thomas Chamberlain, student of Christ Church, Oxford, and vicar of St Thomas the Martyr's Church, Oxford. The school carries the name of St Edward the Martyr, King of England from 975 to 978.

Early history

The original school building was Mackworth Hall, which at that time stood on New Inn Hall Street in central Oxford.[3]

In 1873, after a storm damaged the school buildings and in anticipation of growing numbers, A. B. Simeon, the first Warden, moved the school to Summertown. At the time, the site was on the boundary of Oxford and surrounded by farmland, and Simeon bought a large plot for the school. The school remains on that 100-acre (0.40 km2) site today, with the Quadrangle and playing fields on opposite sides of Woodstock Road.

Simeon created an independent school with monastic-style buildings around a quadrangle.[4] 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.[5]

Henry Ewing Kendall

The Rev. Henry Ewing Kendall (1888–1963) was Warden from 1925 to 1954.[6][7] George Mallaby taught at the school in the period 1924 to 1935, and gave his views of Kendall in Each In His Office (1972).[8][9] At the beginning of the book he listed Kendall with Norman Brook, H. W. Garrod and Jack Adams as "four remarkable men".[10]

Kendall succeeded the Rev. William Harold Ferguson, who had moved to Radley College to take over as Warden there from Adam Fox.[11] St Michael's College, Tenbury and the choir school at All Saints, Margaret Street were feeder prep schools, which had kept up musical standards; and there was an Anglo-Catholic tradition. The fees were low. Yet the retention of staff and the teaching were not good. Kendall's attitude was that "if the right standards were established and the right facilities offered, more boys could certainly be attracted from professional families."[9]

As Warden, Kendall concentrated entirely on the school, was "human, friendly, humorous, convivial"; on the other hand he retained complete control of its running. He gave it 29 years of "incessant activity and unswerving devotion".[9]

Later history

In 1955 a stained glass window by Hugh Ray Easton was installed in the School Memorial Library, to commemorate former pupils who had died in the RAF during World War II.[12] Pacifist inclinations during the 1970s and 1980s caused the window to be relocated, before it was put back on display in the Old Library. The window has since been moved again and can now be seen on display in the warden's dining room. The school also has a scholarship fund to assist pupils whose parents are in the armed forces.

The whole school became fully co-educational in 1997.

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In 2016, the school announced a new building project to complete the school's main Quad. The new development, designed by architect Nick Hardy (TSH Architects) and completed in 2020, includes a purpose-built Library, a university-style academic centre,[clarification needed] and a new hall, with a capacity for 1,000 people.[13]

July 2007 marked the official opening of The North Wall Arts Centre. The centre was built on the site of the old school swimming pool, which was the oldest swimming pool in the country.[14][15][better source needed] The North Wall Arts Centre is run by Ria Parry and is a producing theatre.[16]

The North Wall Arts Centre won several major architectural awards for its design,[16] including a RIBA award.[17]

The Martyrs Pavilion, designed by architect John Pawson, was opened in 2009 and won the 2010 Oxford Preservation Trust award in the New Buildings category.[18]

In May 2025, St Edward’s School faced public backlash after a teacher was suspended for allegedly sharing a racist image in a WhatsApp group. The image depicted Adolf Hitler as a Black man, alongside text resembling a racial slur. The incident, reported by the BBC, caused outrage within the school community. The school stated it had launched a full investigation and claimed it does not tolerate racist or discriminatory behaviour.[19]

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Sport

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The sports on offer for girls include rowing, cricket, hockey, football, netball and tennis, while the main sports offered for the boys include rowing, rugby, hockey, cricket, football and tennis. The school has over 90 acres (360,000 m2) of playing fields in North Oxford.[20]

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One of the school's IVs warming up at the 2006 National Schools Regatta

In rowing the St Edward's School Boat Club has won The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta on five occasions, more than any other British school except Eton College and St Paul's School, London.[21] In 1984 the 1st VIII became the first ever crew to achieve the 'Triple', winning all three school events that year: The School's Head of the River; The Queen Mother Cup at the National Schools Regatta; and The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. 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. Having won Henley events eight times (including three years as winners of the now-discontinued Special Race for Schools), and been the losing finalist seven times,[21] St Edward's School is one of the most successful boys' rowing schools. In 2023, St Edward's School became the first co-educational school to win Gold in Championship events for both boys' and girls' crews in the same National Schools' Regatta, winning the Jim Mason Plate for Girls Coxed Fours[22] (for the second time) and the Queen Mother Challenge Cup for Boys Eights[23] (for the fourth time).

The girls' hockey has been particularly strong and teams are frequently County Champions.[citation needed] 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. Most recently, in 2018 the girls' U16 and U14 sides won their County tournaments with the 1st XI also progressing to the Regional tournament.

2017 was a good year for St Edward's further down the age-groups too, with the Junior Colts A (U15) and Junior Colts B XVs both recording seasons of 10 wins from 11 matches.[citation needed] In 2018, the 1st XV were crowned County Champions for Oxfordshire after beating Cokethorpe School in the final. There are some six former or present pupils in their respective age group's England development squads/teams including James Forrester.

The 2013 cricket season included victories over Radley College, Harrow, Uppingham School and Cheltenham College. In 2017, the 1st XI began the season with a historic win over Oxford MCCU in University Parks, going on to achieve 18 victories in the season - the second highest ever - the team was also crowned South Central T20 Champions. Former pupil AJ Woodland was announced as the Wisden School's Cricketer of the Year for 2016 and other accolades for current pupils included selection for England U17s, an England U19s Invitational XI, and a variety of representational and county sides.

The Steeplechase is the school's annual cross country race and is held once a year with the seniors running a 4-mile (6.4 km) race across Port Meadow, the floodplain of the River Thames.

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Notable alumni

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See also: Category:People educated at St Edward's School, Oxford

Former pupils of St Edward's are known as Old St Edward's, abbreviated to OSE.

Notable OSE include:

Notable masters

Notable masters of the school include:

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International links

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The school maintains links with institutions around the world. Pictured above is The Doon School, India.

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 Teddies.
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 Teddies.
The King's School, Parramatta
King's traditionally play Teddies once every two years during their UK Rugby tour. Teddies played King's in Sydney for the first time in 2003.
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Arms

The school received a grant of arms in December 2017.[37]

Coat of arms of St Edward's School, Oxford
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Crest
Upon a Helm with a Wreath Argent and Azure Issuant from a Cup Or a Dagger erect point downwards Argent hilt and pommel Or.
Escutcheon
Azure a Cross flory between four Ancient Crowns impaling Per fess Sable and Or a Pale counterchanged in the Or an Ermine Spot Sable and in the Sable a Trefoil slipped Or the whole within a Bordure also Or.
Motto
Pietas Parentum
Badge
Issuant from a Cup Or a Dagger erect downwards Argent hilt and pommel Or.
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References

External links

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