Chronicle Summer 2024

15 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

are involved in sport, music, dance, drama and art than ever before; friendships seem to form more quickly and more securely; we’ve seen a lot less unkindness online, and even more kindness in person. Teddies Collaborates has made a huge difference too. It’s taken pupils outside the “Teddies bubble”, and it’s made them think differently about their lives, about the privileges they have and the ways in which they should use them for the benefit of others. The other development in the last three years which has made a real difference is our work to make more of Oxford – there’s always been a rich intellectual life at Teddies, but it’s now shared more widely.

More pupils are talking about ideas, about the talks they have heard and the speakers who have come into the School. That can only be good for their academic ambitions. It’s also a great catalyst for hard work. To what should pupils and parents look forward in the Autumn Term ahead? Most people reading the Chronicle this summer will want to focus on enjoying their holidays – and that should be their priority! We have a lot of plans for the Autumn Term. We’ll have the bumping races back on the river. We’ll also have Teddies in Flight, our week focused on space and aviation with talks from the astronaut Dick Covey and the Concorde pilot Les Brodie. Pupils preparing their university applications will have more timetabled classes, more reading groups, and more mentoring from the St Edward’s Fellows too. The newly refurbished Dining Hall will make a big impression, and it will be exciting to see the new

Woody Davis, Ricky Li and Livvy Hughes in a Biology class

as Deputy Head Welfare is an important event too. Together with Eve Singfield, he’ll be working hard to develop our structures and to make pastoral care at Teddies even better. They will make a great team. More than anything though, pupils and parents should look forward to more of the same – more ambition, more friendliness, more fun at Teddies. That’s the philosophy that has put the wind in our sails in the last three years, and we won’t be changing tack.

Even though I have only been

at Teddies for a year, it already seems like ages because of all the different activities and fun things that I get to do every day. DRAGOS

carpet, the new colours and the new furniture. Dining will be very different in house groups too, and I think it will be much better. Dr Jim Panton joining the management team

Bethany Marett teaches the art of sketching to Tabitha Bowling and Runa Bhandari