What the Good Schools Guide Says About Teddies

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ST EDWARD’S, OXFORD

The arts and extracurricular

Stunning facilities for music and the arts. ‘They have lifted aspirations,’ says school, and we can see why: Olivier auditorium hosts 1000 people, as extraordinary a space as we’ve seen in a school (no-one would dream of sticking gum under those seats). Ogston music school another purpose-built beauty, all Scandi-chic with wood cladding; ‘music everywhere, all the time,’ say parents: regular music socials; recent production of Chicago delivered much razzle dazzle; electric guitars out in force for recent LGBTQ+ history month gig. North Wall Arts Centre runs as a charity – another super space which Teddies shares with professional theatre, dance, comedy and music, and exhibitions. Challenging, relevant pieces – parents describe ‘spectacular’ Othello, rewritten with a girl cast as the tragic hero, balanced by crowd pleasers like Sweeney Todd. High-profile guests (Sir Nicholas Hytner and Dame Darcey Bussell both recent visitors to the North Wall); pupils collaborate with their technical staff when working backstage. A real boon.

New St Edward’s Award captures every aspect of school life; pupils opt to pursue Blue or Gold each year. Components for service, academics, leadership allow pupils to set themselves targets and track their progress. A helpful way to structure expectations, opening up conversations with parents – is Johnny turning up to chess as per his targets? – and allowing school to celebrate all those bits that can otherwise go unnoticed outside the classroom. Lots of confidence-boosting opportunities: ‘he’s really quiet and has never been chosen for anything, and for the first time someone’s given him a shot, given him the chance,’ says a grateful parent. Varied speaker calendar – John Simpson, Louis de Bernières – and a bucketful of interesting, varied opportunities which pupils actually enjoy. Very little boys vs girls on the extra-curriculars – ‘boys do the arts, the ballet, the music without being labelled as sissies,’ says one parent. Teddies a real winner on this front.

Stunning facilities for music and the arts