Chronicle 687

9 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

I boarded at Eton for five years, starting when I was 13. It was hard at first – I hadn’t boarded before, and most of my peers had at least some experience of being away from home. Things have really changed in the last thirty years – well over half of the boarders in the Shell are away from home for the first time. Schools have changed too – there’s much more induction and support than there was in 1989! Today, it’s pretty rare for pupils not to have settled into boarding life by the October Exeat. It took me two terms – and it wasn’t easy. It’s a challenge that I eventually met though, and that was good for my confidence. By the Summer Term in 1990, I was loving every minute – that’s because I had found rowing! It doesn’t have to be rowing (obviously!) but, whatever it is, whether it’s a sport, music, dance, drama, art or academics, it really helps to find your passion and to find people to share it with. When I talk to the new Shell, as a year group or individually, it helps that I have had direct experience of starting to board. I’ve also drawn on that experience as we have developed our pastoral structures, especially for induction in the Autumn Term. By the second day of the Autumn Term in 1989, the timetable was full. Boarders starting at Teddies make a much slower start, so that they can get used to boarding first before they start doing everything else.

The girls of Corfe cheer on their housemates during Sports Day

How important is co-education to pupils’ experience of St Edward’s? Hugely important in my view, because it plays such a vital part in the development of emotional intelligence, in being able to connect with people, and in avoiding prejudice and preconception. Boys being with boys and girls being with girls in their boarding houses is important though – and I think that in a co-educational boarding school you actually get the best of both worlds. That’s why co-education in the Houses doesn’t start until the Sixth Form. From the Shell to the Fifth Form, House life is single-sex – and many co-curricular activities are too – but lessons, lots of activities and all unstructured time are fully co-ed. I think it’s also really important to have both women and men as role models. We always look to have an even balance of girls and boys as Prefects, Heads of House and Peer Listeners, and we’ve worked hard to get towards an even balance of men and women in the management team, among the Heads of Department and among the HMs. The balance in the management team is already there, and we’re not far off 50:50 in those other positions too. It also helps that the balance between men and women on the teaching staff is 53:47, which is so much better than the 60:40 ratio we had five years ago.

Even as a day pupil, my House truly feels like a second home. The warm, friendly atmosphere makes it easy to feel included, and I really enjoy getting involved in all the House activities. It’s like being part of

As we enter the second century of boarding at Teddies I hope what stays the same is the sense of tradition, community, and the close relationships between students and staff. That is the heart of the boarding experience and what makes it so

one big family. ANA GALVANI-SILVA, LOWER SIXTH PUPIL

How do we ensure that pupils’ sense of togetherness is continually strengthened in all areas of school life? Well, there are the obvious ways – like bringing everyone together for assembly in the Olivier Hall at the start of every week. Lots of schools have grown too big to bring everyone together in one place, and we think that’s a mistake. We’re on course to have 840 pupils at Teddies in September

memorable. ALEX BROWN, LOWER SIXTH PUPIL