Chronicle January 2021

14 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Side by Side In September, two new co-educational Houses opened at Teddies – Cooper Lodge, little by little as the lockdown-delayed construction work was completed, and Sing’s in its second incarnation as a co-ed House. Twenty years ago, Sixth Form girls were part of the Sing’s community during the school day, departing in the evening to their own accommodation on the Woodstock Road. Below, we hear reflections from pupils and staff on this thoroughly modern approach to boarding.

Cooper Lodge

Life in Cooper Lodge By Carolina Ramirez Cabal, Head of House Finally, after two years, I am happy to be the first Head of House in Cooper Lodge at the new site and with all year groups together. Last year, Cooper Lodge was spread across the school grounds, with Shells and Fourth Formers living in our temporary Cooper Lodge on Quad side, and Lower Sixth girls living in different Houses while Cooper Lodge was being completed. Coming together as one House, therefore, was a very special moment, and in what felt like only a short time, we had all become one House community.

Pupils of both genders and from different year groups spend time together and hang out in the common rooms. There is no awkwardness, so we don’t, for instance, have the Shells saying ‘Ooooh, girls!’ and running away from us! The House really is a close-knit family. We are all comfortable being together in House, and, as a result, lots of opportunities to try new things have emerged. For example, at the end of last term, we started a nightly ‘Just Dance’ online fitness session for Fifth and Sixth Form pupils. We all meet upstairs in one of the big common rooms, put ‘Just Dance’ on the screen, and simply have fun and get a bit of a workout before bed. After we started this activity, some of the boys said they wouldn’t have felt quite so comfortable joining in the dance routines in an all-boys’ House, which highlighted one of the true advantages of Cooper Lodge. We encourage each other to try new things in a supportive environment. The boys push the girls out of their comfort zone by being more outspoken and confident, while the girls also encourage the boys to be more creative and expressive. When I was approached to write this piece, I was asked what it’s been like to bring the co-ed Cooper Lodge community together for the first time. Honestly, it has been a complete joy and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the school year has in store for us!

Cooper Lodge HM Fergus Livingstone OSE

Michael Lavina Carter, Carolina Ramirez Cabal, Cheyenne Rahimian and Tom King in Cooper Lodge