Rhubarb 2017

14 ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

Music at Teddies By Henry Johnson (B, 2011-2016) Having just completed my time at Teddies one area of school life I’ll look back on with serious nostalgia will be the music department. I was by no account a great musician but enjoyed the opportunity to sing and play in the various ensembles and choirs. What I admire most about the department is their ability to maintain the interests of the pupils, which means that music at Teddies is an enjoyable experience whilst still challenging pupils with a varied repertoire. The uniqueness of the department is very much thanks to the characters in it. Mr Powell’s love of all things brass means that there was never a dull moment in his Band rehearsals. Mr Tester is another whose enthusiasm and eccentricity is the reason Wednesday night Chapel Choir rehearsals never seemed to drag on. The Department has also focused heavily on providing for a wide range of different musicians. Music at Teddies does not just involve a narrow set of classical works. The advent of Rocksoc and Battle of the Bands means that a range of musicians have the ability to excel with an increased emphasis on contemporary music. This will only be strengthened by the new Music School where the Rock Room, Recording Studio and 20 rehearsal rooms will facilitate the improvement of all areas of music at Teddies. I do hope that the new building will have a positive effect in encouraging more pupils to get involved in this area of school life and make the most of the opportunities this amazing facility provides. Music taught me so many valuable lessons throughout my time at Teddies that I will put to use in other areas. The core values of self-discipline and teamwork are skills I will take forward with me for the rest of my life.

F E A T U R E S

Generous donations from OSE have meant that every practice room in the Ogston Music School can be equipped with an upright piano.

Bursaries The School sets aside as much of its income as possible for Bursaries, and this allows a limited number of young people to come to the School on scholarships with fee subsidies. But it is the donations generously given by OSE which actually enable us to build up the Bursary Fund and to focus our efforts on attracting those young people most deserving of bursarial support. Our aim is to increase considerably the number of families receiving help with the fees. One young person who has benefited from the kind support of the OSE community is Matthew Thornton, who joined the Shells in 2013 on a 100% bursary. Having achieved a full set of A*s in his GCSEs, he is currently in the Lower Sixth. ‘I wanted to come to St Edward’s because I knew I would achieve greater things than if I stayed at my old school, and this is exactly what has happened. The bursary has allowed me to unlock my potential thanks to all the opportunities that Teddies provides, as well as the small class sizes and close-knit community. I genuinely think that I wouldn’t

have become the person I am today without the generous donations that enabled me to come to St Edward’s.’ A further exciting new development for St Edward’s is our partnership with the Springboard Bursary Foundation. Springboard transforms the lives of disadvantaged young people by arranging full bursaries at boarding schools, helping them to raise their aspirations, reach their full potential and lead confident, thoughtful and satisfying lives. We were therefore delighted when Springboard selected us as the right school for a young person who would really benefit from the unique environment of a boarding school, thanks to our strong pastoral provision. A combination of donations and the School’s commitment has funded a bursary for 100% of the boarding fees for this pupil who joined the Sixth Form in September. If we can continue to grow our Bursary Fund, we would hope to develop our partnership with Springboard to welcome more pupils in future years.

The Lower Sixth who achieved 9 or more A* grades in their GCSEs last summer, with Matthew Thornton in the front row, far left.