Chronicle Summer 2024

3 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Word from the Warden

service of this year’s leavers. We also look back at more recent productions in our dazzling and colourful spread from page 34. I am grateful to David Flower, Sub-Warden Academic, and to Charles Wallendahl, Head of Theology, Philosophy and Ethics, for overseeing and setting out so clearly on page 22 such a balanced approach to the use of technology at St Edward’s. Our pupils’ wellbeing can be dramatically affected by their digital experiences, and we are determined at St Edward’s to do everything that we can to protect them and to set the foundation for their future habits. In my interview from page 6, I reflect on the progress which we have made over the last three years. This is the third Chronicle since I started as Warden in 2021, and I am very proud not only of all the achievements which it celebrates but also of the way in which staff and pupils have worked together this year to realise so many of our objectives. This dynamic, ambitious school continues to go from strength to strength, and I feel very privileged to be leading Teddies through this exciting period of growth and development. Elsewhere, we celebrate sporting silverware and success; we capture the joy and camaraderie of our Gaudy performances; we enjoy the stunning artwork created by our departing Upper Sixth; and we introduce the pupil leadership teams who will play such a big part in the life of the School next year.

As we look back on the end of the Summer Term and another year in the life of the School, I am delighted to introduce the 2024 edition of the Chronicle . Ceremony, spectacle and a strong sense of togetherness have been the defining features of the year, and they are the golden threads in this edition. We enjoyed the brilliant spectacle of the CCF Inspection in April and of the gathering of the whole School – pupils, staff, parents, Governors and friends – to celebrate the refoundation of the Quad at the tree planting ceremony in March. The significance of the moment and its place in the continuum of our history was captured by Heads of School Prisca Olagunju and George Freeland as they anticipated their return to Teddies as OSE to sit under the tree and to catch up with old friends. Everyone who saw it was captivated by the beauty and the brilliance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream , performed en plein air on Field Side on glorious summer evenings during Gaudy Week. Staged to mark the 100th anniversary of Laurence Olivier’s performance as Puck when he was a pupil at Teddies, the production prompted School Archivist Chris Nathan to take us back to the early years of Drama at Teddies from page 29, celebrating the many successes during the era of Wilfrid Cowell, whose 57 years at Teddies surpass even the extraordinary

Heads of School Prisca Olagunji and George Freeland dig in the Quad's new Cedar of Lebanon

The Chronicle Editor-in-Chief: Tracy van der Heiden Editor: Bonnie Robinson robinsonb@stedwardsoxford.org Contributing Editor: Chris Nathan, School Archivist There has been sadness too, and alongside its celebration of the year this edition of the Chronicle includes tributes to those whom we lost this year: Fred Tao, Gail Benson and John Adedoyin OSE. You can read about their lives and their contribution to our community from page 38. Zannah and I wish you a wonderful summer, and look forward to seeing you in September.

Picture Editor: Anna Cole Design: Chris York Design Find out more

Stay in touch with all the latest news by following our social media accounts. On Instagram @stedwardsoxford On LinkedIn St Edward’s School, Oxford St Edward’s School is registered in England and Wales as a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered No.116784. Registered Offi ce: Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 7NN. Registered Charity No. 309681.

The School gathers in the Quad for the tree planting