Tilly's House Handbook

WELCOME / THE HOUSE TEAM / HOUSE VALUES / STAYING IN TOUCH / THINGS TO BRING DAILY ROUTINES / HOUSE LIVING / SUPPORT FOR PUPILS AND PARENTS / A TO Z

TILLY’S HOUSE HANDBOOK

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WELCOME

Welcome to Tilly’s House We are all looking forward to welcoming you and supporting the transition into daily life at Teddies. The booklet aims to alleviate any concerns by covering some of the basics needed for the start of term and to give you important contact details. There is also an A–Z at the end which hopefully will answer specific points, for anything else please ask! If you have any concerns about your son, please do get in touch with me or one of the team (see the contact details below) by email, text or phone. We all aim to reply to emails within 24 hours but for anything more urgent please phone me on my mobile or the House phone. In an emergency, you can also contact the Sub-Warden. It is really important that we have up to date contact details for parents and guardians. Please do let us know if these details change or if you are out of the country or away from home and the nominated guardian during this period. Tilly’s House is known for its amazing house spirit and ‘having a go’ at all school activities from House shout, to leading chapel, sporting endeavours and academic school competitions. Shells will have a peer mentor when they arrive in Lower Sixth, this vertical tutoring system helps with settling in, providing a friendly face to turn to for advice. Tilly’s house has PODs with a POD Captain who leads and supports this smaller group. Although named before my time as a Biologist there are two main things that come to mind:

1) The POD is a protective covering for seeds helping them mature in the House with a safety net around them. 2) A POD is the description for a group of dolphins, where they build social interactions, with rich and varied opportunities, the PODs work together in House competitions and events to create and build great friendships in House. Our strong and experienced tutor team look to monitor and support pupils progressing through Teddies to leave fully prepared for their next step as well-rounded gentlemen who make a positive impact on the community they join next. We are excited to be part of this journey with you and I am committed to making Tilly’s a home away from home, full of laughter, kindness and, of course, hard work!

Rowena Ritchie Tilly’s Housemistress (HM)

I joined Teddies in September 2023 to take on the position of Tilly’s HM and teach Biology. I came from being a Head of Science at a large independent school in Oxford. In my role as the HM, I have overall responsibility for your son’s wellbeing at school. This includes their emotional and social wellbeing as well as their academic progress and involvement in the co-curricular life of the school. I am supported in this role by a fantastic team – the Assistant HM Andrew Rush, the House Matron Yasmin Dean, the Resident Tutor Jake Andrews and the entire House team. Email ritchier@stedwardsoxford.org House phone +44 (0)1865 319 257 Mobile +44 (0) 7921 816 686 Instagram @teddies_tillys

ST EDWARD’S, OXFORD

JUNE 2025