St Edward’s was founded in 1863 by the Revd Thomas Chamberlain to educate the sons of middle class clergy in the Anglican tradition. The somewhat cramped original premises in the centre of Oxford soon proved inadequate for the growing School, so the decision was taken in 1873 to move to what were then the farmlands of Summertown. Today, the School sits on a vast 100-acre estate, complete with the Christie Academic Centre, the impressive Olivier Hall, the innovative North Wall Arts Centre, the high-specification Music School, a fully-equipped sports centre, a riverside boat house, pitches, courts, elegant Quad, golf course and canalside towpath. It is unusual to find such extensive grounds in a city boarding school; St Edward's is less than a mile from the university city of Oxford and only a 2-minute walk from the busy urban village of Summertown. The School has around 810 pupils, 86% of whom board, and 45% of whom are girls. Pupils live in one of 13 houses (five for girls, four for boys and four boys' houses with a co-educational Sixth Form), and enjoy outstanding academic and co-curricular opportunities.
Ethos. We seek to educate pupils at St Edward’s in a liberal and open community, in which scholarship is promoted, in which there is excellence in every area of school life, and in which there is a culture of service within and outside the School. We celebrate scholarship not only for the acquisition of knowledge through study but also for the development of a lifelong interest in the life of the mind. We seek excellence for pupils in learning and in teaching, in pastoral care, in co-curricular opportunity, in diversity, in sustainability and in all school facilities. We believe that real public benefit comes not only from the sharing of resources and from working in partnership with others outside the School, but also – and more importantly – from the commitment to serving others which pupils will develop during their time at Teddies, as the School is also affectionately known. We also believe in allowing pupils to be themselves and to chart their own course through the many opportunities available to them at Teddies, so developing the confidence and the independence to thrive at university and in their professional and personal lives. At the same time, we ensure that pupils take full advantage of the facilities and opportunities available to them at the School, because we know that academic success and personal fulfilment follow from breadth of interest and engagement.
Pastoral care. The comprehensive pastoral care system at St Edward’s has long been regarded as one of the School’s great strengths – a point highlighted by successive ISI reports. The system is underpinned by a highly effective network of relationships offering distinct but interwoven levels of care. Each pupil sits at the centre of his or her network, surrounded by a range of people who can offer guidance and support. The Housemaster or Housemistress is a vital member of that architecture for pastoral care, and in this role they are supported by an Assistant HM and a Matron. Also key are Tutors who monitor the academic and pastoral life of six to 10 pupils, meeting with them regularly to offer advice and guidance across the full range of a pupil's experience of living and learning at Teddies. Within the school community, Sixth Formers are trained to offer a peer listening service and a great many other leadership and support roles; the two Heads of School meet regularly with senior staff to discuss all aspects of school life. The Deputy Heads Pastoral and Safeguarding, the School Doctor, the Director of Wellbeing, the School Psychologist, the School Counsellor, School Nurses, the Health Centre and the Chaplaincy Team are also part of the comprehensive pastoral care network.
Academic work. Academically, it would be hard to overstate the importance to St Edward’s of being in Oxford, within easy reach of the stimulating academic life of the university. Academic endeavour lies at the heart of the School; pupils are expected to work consistently hard, to take responsibility for their own learning and to engage actively in the many opportunities open to them for broadening their intellectual horizons. The school offers GCSE/IGCSE, A level with the Extended Project and the IB Diploma. The GCSE programme is enhanced by St Edward’s own optional Pathways and Perspectives courses – designed to stretch and inspire – two of which may be taken alongside GCSEs. The Sixth Form community is split 50/50 between A levels and the IB. The Learning Support Department ensures the provision of support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, both through direct support of pupils and their parents and through the teaching staff.
In 2024, just under half of all Sixth Form grades were A*–A or Levels 7–6 (A level or the IB Diploma) and some 80% were A*–B or Levels 7–5. Close to two thirds of all grades at GCSE and in our own Pathways and Perspectives courses were Levels 9–7. Most Sixth Form leavers take up places at Russell Group or equally prestigious universities, including Oxford and Cambridge and, increasingly, pupils look to study overseas. In recent years, pupils have gone on to study at US and Canadian universities, including Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth and UCAL Berkeley. Pupils have also been successful in their applications to universities in Hong Kong and Japan, and to universities in a number of European cities including Dublin, Amsterdam, Leiden and Madrid. Their success comes partly from the specialist support which we provide for them in their applications to universities outside the UK.
Higher Education and careers. Provision in this area is managed by a team with a wide range of experience and expertise. A Head of Higher Education and Careers, a Head of Employability and Careers Education, and a Head of Overseas Applications are supported by external guidance from a US universities expert. Higher Education and Careers advice is highly personalised and quite exceptional. The Shell Curriculum and our Pathways and Perspectives courses are designed to feed directly into pupils’ career planning by teaching explicitly the skills required for today’s workplace: research, self-regulation, innovative thinking, presentation, collaboration and teamwork. Pupils are given every assistance in choosing the right course of further study and in preparing a strong application, including visits by representatives of UK and US universities, mock interviews and personal statement workshops. Through the Elite Universities Programme, tailored advice is given to Oxbridge and Ivy League candidates and to those aiming for highly competitive courses, such as Medicine or Veterinary Science.
Music, Drama and the Arts. The innovative North Wall Arts Centre enriches the cultural life of both the School and the wider community, placing St Edward’s at the forefront of developments in arts education. As a result, the arts are highly valued and enormously successful at St Edward’s. The Drama Department is flourishing: main school productions, including musicals, are complemented by devised pieces, House plays, Shell plays and a Speech and Drama programme. The Art Department is strong and vibrant, benefiting from recently enhanced facilities. The Dance programme is extensive, with over 120 classes every week for more than 200 pupils – covering styles from ballet to hip hop – generating a range of material for regular dance shows. The Music Department, housed in the elegant Music School, delivers about 500 lessons every week, taught by a team of 40 visiting specialists. The main school groups include the Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, St Edward’s Singers (a choir for the School and the local community), Concert Band, Big Band, Jazz Band and various Chamber Music groups. There are around 60 concerts a year, in School and further afield, with occasional foreign tours.
Sport, games and activities. A wide variety of sports, games and activities is on offer. We compete at the highest level in several sports and can boast of county and national representatives. We encourage all our pupils to participate and to enjoy playing at all levels. We have fielded as many as 27 teams on one day – over 400 children representing the school. These sports, games and activities include rugby, football, hockey, cricket, rowing, athletics, netball, squash, tennis, swimming, cross-country running, sailing, golf, football, canoeing, ceramics, theatre crew, filmmaking, debating, investment, textiles, cycle maintenance, volunteering, charitable challenges, community service – and much more. We operate a Combined Cadet Force with Navy, Army and RAF sections, and offer The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Admission to the School. St Edward’s admits pupils at three entry points each year: approximately 140 into the Shell (Year 9), around 30 into the Fourth Form (Year 10) and some 65 into the Lower Sixth (Year 12). Formal registration, for which a fee is charged, takes place online via the school website. Full details of the application process for all entry points are available on the website under the Admissions tab. Scholarships. Academic and Music Scholarships, and Art and Sports Awards are available at Shell (Year 9), Fourth Form (Year 10) and Lower Sixth (Year 12) entry. For Shell and Fourth Form entry, Arts Awards cover Art, Dance, Drama and Design Technology; and at Lower Sixth entry, Arts Awards cover Art, Dance and Drama.
Scholarships come with fee remission of 5% per annum. Exhibitions (the second level of Scholarship), and Sports and Arts Awards attract fee remission of 2.5% per annum. Full details of the application process, selection criteria, assessments and closing dates are available on the website under the Admissions tab. Financial support. Any pupil applying to St Edward's in Years 9, 10 or 12 may apply for means-tested fee support up to 100% of fees through our Financial Support programme. Applications should be made by 1 September in the year of application. Financial support is unrelated to Scholarships and Awards.
Fees per term (2024–2025). Boarding: £15,660; Day: £12,528.
Charitable status. St Edward’s, Oxford, is a Registered Charity, number 309681. The vision for the School is to be fully co-educational, taking every advantage of its location in Oxford, to which access is broad and balanced, in which staff and pupils together make up a diverse and mutually supportive community of learners, in which pupils develop self-agency through opportunity, in which there is a culture of service, from which pupils graduate with values for life and skills for the 21st century, and in which the estate and all operational structures facilitate sustainable excellence.
Governors & Staff:
Visitor:
The Right Revd The Lord Bishop of Oxford
Governing Body:
Chris Jones, MA FRSA [OSE] (Chairman)
Wilf Stephenson, MA (Vice Chair)
Sarah Ainsworth, MA, MSc, CQSW (Churchill Fellow)
Caroline Baggs, BSc
Alan Buchanan, MA, LLB
Joe Burrows, MA
The Venerable Jonathan Chaffey, CB, Archdeacon of Oxford
Helen Cook, BEd, FCIPD [OSE]
Prof. Richard Cooper, MA, DPhil
Georgina Dennis, MA [OSE]
Kenneth MacRitchie, MA, BD, LLB
Dr. Clare Robertson, MBChB, MRCP Paeds, FRCPCH
Michael Roulston, MBE, BPhil, MEd
Philip Winston, MA, PhD
[OSE] Former Pupil
Warden: A J Chirnside, MA Oxon
Bursar & COO: E G B Hayter, MVO, BSc Southampton
Sub-Warden: C Hamilton, MSc Southampton
Sub-Warden Academic: D J Flower, MA Oxon
Deputy Heads:
Pastoral: E Singfield
Welfare: J Panton, MSc and DPhil Oxon, MPhil UC
Co-Curriculum: N H C Coram-Wright, MA St Andrews
Systems and Analytics: L L H Tao, BA Durham
Assistant Heads:
Curricular: J Young, BSc Warwick
Co-Curriculum: A C W Tester, MA Late Organ Scholar of Fitzwillam College, Cantab
Registrar: N C A Jones, BEd Hons London
Development Director: R J Henshilwood, BA Hons Nottingham Trent
Head of Communications: T van der Heiden, BA Oxon
Director of Finance & Corporate Services: K Pearce, MA Cantab, FCA
Head of HR: C Waterfield, BSc, Assoc CIPD
Estates Bursar: R A Hayes
Chaplain: Revd. E M V Boughton, BA Oxon
Directors:
Teaching and Learning: C A Wallendahl, MA Oxon
IB: A Fielding, BA York, MSc Oxon
Wellbeing: J Adlam, PhD University of Hamburg
Safeguarding (DSL): V Osborne-Ricketts, MA Birmingham
Behaviour and Standards: Y. Ramadharsingh, BSc, University of the West Indies
Music: P Clements, BA Oxon
Organisation: P C Gowen, BSc Leeds
Sport: N J Bond, BSc Cardiff Metropolitan
Head of Higher Education: M Gillingwater, BSc, MSc Edinburgh, MEd Cantab
Head of Overseas Applications (Higher Education): J E Sinclair, MA Oxon, MEd Cantab
School Analyst: M J Golesworthy, MChem, DPhil Oxon, FRSM, FTCL
Head of Pupil Academic Transition: R M Storey, BSc Edinburgh
Head of Super Curriculum: S C S Waldock, BSc Durham
Head of Pupil Progress: L O’Rourke, BSc St Andrews
Head of Pupil Voice: F L Wickens, MA Oxon
Head of Sixth Form Projects: C Hanly, BA Rhodes University
Head of Examinations: J A Simpson, MA Oxon
Teaching Staff:
J Adlam, PhD Hamburg
J Andrews, BSc, Derby
S K Arbuthnot, BA Queen’s Belfast
M E L Austen, BA Cantab
L Barr, BA London
B Z Bassman, MBA, UCL: BA, Cornell
E Bernstein, BA, PhD Birmingham, MPhil, Cantab
M. Blackham, BSc Southampton Solent
H Bond, BSc Bath
H Bond, BA, Oxon
L Bray, MA York
M E Bunch, BA, MA Durham
S Cabello Malfetano, BA Malaga
D Caro Solano, BA Western Australia
J A Cazabon, MSc Wales
A Chambers, MS, PhD, King's College, BA Durham
H Chitsenga, BSc Instituto Superior Pedagogico EJ Varona, Cuba
J E Clapham, MAM Edinburgh, MSc Kingston
R F Cottrell, BA Southampton
N C Creed, MA Late Choral Exhibitioner of Trinity College, Cantab
A Cullen, MA, BA, London, MSt, Oxon
A-L Davies, MA, University of Pau
C A Davies, BA York, MA Open
J M Davies, MA, BA Swansea
M-L Delvallée, Licence d'Anglais, MA Université du Littoral, MA Canterbury
P Diaz Rogado, MA Salamance
R E Drury, BSc Leeds
L C Duffy, BA Hull
T W Duncan, BA Kingston
G Durieu, MA, Leon, BA, Grenoble
K J Eden, BA Winchester, MA City, London
L Elkins, Italia Conti Academy
A N Elliott, BA Oxon
M D Fletcher, MA Cantab, PhD Bath, CSciTeach, CSci, CChem, MRSC
E Gazeley, MA, Cantab
M D G Glover, BSc Oxford Brookes
A M Goldsmith, BA Newcastle
J Graham, BSc Northwestern, Msc, Oxon
S Greenwood, BA, Oxon
A R Griffiths, BSc Loughborough
K L Grinyer-Bouwer, BA Bristol
V Groom, BA, Truro and Penwith
A J Grounds, BA Brunel, MSc Oxon
K Guest, BA, Cantab
A R Hahn, BA Glasgow School of Art
A J T Halliwell, BA Loughborough
L Hamblin-Rooke, BSc St Mary’s Twickenham
C Hanly, BA Rhodes University
J L Harris, BSc Leiden, MSc Sheffield
H Herrmann, BA, Queensland, MSc, London
F Higgins, MA Birmingham, MPhil Dublin, BA Oxon
C Holder, BA Brighton, MFA Slade School of Fine Art
T E Holdsworth, BEng Cranfield
S C Holland, BSc Nottingham Trent
C M Holliday, BA Bournemouth
J N Hooper, MA Reading
N F Hunter, BA Courtauld Institute, London
K Ing, BA, Nottingham
J E Ingram, MMath Warwick, MEd University College London
H Irving, BA, Nottingham
M Islam, BSc Imperial College
R Jackson, BA Oxon
C M James, BSc Kent
S James, BEng Kent
R Jerstice, BA Cantab
A Kenny, BA Exeter
J Law, BSc Brunel
A Mango, BA La Sorbonne, Paris
B C Marett, MA The Royal College of Art
A E Moffatt, BA Oxford Brookes
H Moore, BA, Oxon
S J M Munday-Webb, BA Central School of Speech and Drama
H S Murphy, BSc Nottingham
G E Nagle, MA, DPhil Oxon
M F Narajos, BA, BM, BCh, PGDip Oxon
L O'Rourke, BSci St. Andrews
C Ord, MA Heidelberg, DPhil Oxon
V Patel, MA Warwick, DPhil Oxon
R Perry, BA Oxon
J R Powell, GRSM, LRAM, ARCM
A L Qiu, BSc Warwick
K J Reid, MSc St Andrews
R Ritchie, BSc, Warwick
E P Scates, BA Bournemouth, MA Canterbury Christ Church
A E D Scott, BA, Leeds, PGDip Royal College of Music
J Sephton, BA Oxon
E Sewell, BA, Southampton
A Shiel Dods, BA, Leeds Trinity
N M Simborowski-Gill, MA Oxon
R M Simmonds, BA Exeter
A E Smith, MEng Bristol
H Stanley, MPhys, Warwick
S D Symington, BA Exeter, MSc Bath
M J Taylor, MA Durham, ALCM
R K Thomas, BSc Liverpool
A Todd, BA Sterling
J Tomas Beneito, BA, Alicante
P Torri, MA Milan, PhD Leuven
W H Truter, BSc Stellenbosch
L R Turley, BA, PGDip Glasgow School of Art, PGDip Oxford Brookes
S C S Waldock, BSc, Durham (m)
A P Waring, BSc Birmingham
S J Wheeler, BSc Leeds, PhD Sheffield
A J Wiggins, MA, Oxon
T Wyatt, BA Oxon
Post-graduate Teachers:
B Allaen, MA, Durham
C Aird, BSc, Newcastle, MSc, Edinburgh
S Allport, BSc, York
M Carter, BA, Essex, MA, Birmingham
I Cervera, BA Bordeaux
I Fielden-Page, LLB, UCL
J M Gomez, BA Pablo De Olavide
L Keeley, BA, Oxon
C Lasrado, BSc, Cardiff
F Lee, BA, London
O Morgan
S Peterswald, Australian National University
M Powell, BA, Oxon
E Saville, BA, Newcastle
E Speed, BSc, MA, St Andrew's
H Tao, BSc (Hons), Bath
M Thomas, BSc, Buckinghamshire
M Tuckley, BA, Greensboro
CCF, Contingent Commander: Sqn Ldr N H Coram-Wright, RAFAC, MA
CCF, School Staff Instructor: Captain O Perera
Head Librarian and Resource Coordinator: S A Eldred, BA, MSc
School Doctor: Dr Olivia Beardmore