Beech House at St Edward's, Oxford

BEECH HOUSE THE FIELD HOUSE ANNEXE AT THE HEART OF THE SCHOOL Our inaugural group of Lower Sixth Field House girls will join the community at an important moment in the School’s history as we celebrate 40 years of co-education at St Edward’s this year.

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Beech House, our boarding annexe

Whilst the necessary work is carried out to make Field House co-educational in the Sixth Form, Lower Sixth Field House girls will live in our temporary boarding annexe, Beech House, on the Quad Side of the school, close to the Library, classrooms, dining facilities and The North Wall Arts Centre, and just a short walk across the campus to the main House. A considerable advantage of Beech House is the ease of access to Summertown, where there are shops and cafés aplenty. Pupils from many other Houses have enjoyed living in Beech House either because, like our Field House girls, they were waiting to join a newly co-educational House, or because their own Houses were being upgraded or extended. Our first community of Lower Sixth Field

‘The residential staff and tutors looking after the girls in Beech House have a wealth of experience in so many different areas of school life, which will be of huge benefit to the girls. The location, privacy and close-knit feel of the house makes it the envy of other Sixth Formers!’ ROB COTTRELL, FIELD HOUSE HM

House girls will be put in touch with girls from our other co-educational Houses, who will act as mentors and guides.

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Beech House has eight single-occupancy bedrooms, a large, bright common room and a private garden adjacent to Cooper’s, our Sixth Form dining and social space. It was built in 1923 and was the first purpose-built health centre for the School. Careful attention is paid to building a sense of community and shared experience between the main House and the annexe. The whole of the Sixth Form, boys and girls, will come to Beech House for afternoon registration every day; regular social events will be hosted in both locations to ensure that everyone gets to know each other; and ‘study buddy’ partnerships will be established across the whole House community. As well as coming together on a daily basis, the House will be together for all the big school occasions such as the Steeplechase cross country run, House debating, the House Singing competition, all the House sports tournaments at the end of each term – and countless other occasions.

‘Sixth Form pupils who have lived in Beech House for a term or an academic year have enjoyed the pre university experience of living as part of a small group with easy access to all the benefits of being part of the wider House and school communities.’ CLARE HAMILTON, SUB-WARDEN AND FORMER HM OF APSLEY, WHICH BECAME A CO-EDUCATIONAL HOUSE IN 2021.

Morgan Wrigley, far left, who lived in Beech House as part of the first cohort of Lower Sixth Apsley girls, said, ‘We really enjoyed the annexe as we were able to create firm friendships and have our own space for work, socialising and relaxing.’

In recognition of the particular importance of creating shared experiences in these circumstances, Beech House will have a significant staff presence. Resident Assistant Housemistress (AHM), Niamh Sinclair, will join Teddies from The Oratory School where she currently works in the same capacity. Niamh studied History at the University of Leicester and has a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) from the University of Oxford. She will live in the House with her husband, James, a Field House Tutor, a Teacher of Classics and the School’s Head of Overseas Universities. The Resident Tutor will be Courtney O’Keefe, who plays a key role in Teddies Collaborates, the School’s Lower Sixth volunteering programme. Courtney has a degree in Biological Sciences from Oxford Brookes University and extensive experience of working in residential settings. The high staff to pupil ratio will ensure that the girls receive exceptional academic and pastoral support.

Niamh Sinclair, Assistant Housemistress

Courtney O’Keefe, Resident Tutor

James Sinclair, Field House Tutor

Beech House in 1950

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