As the School winds down for the Easter holidays, over at The North Wall we’re gearing up for our annual Catalyst residency, transforming the building from hub for School drama and dance into our “ArtsLab”: a place where early-career artists can meet each other, share ideas and create new work.

Catalyst sees six playwrights and three directors aged 18-25 come together for two weeks of learning, supported by a team of mentors and professional actors. Everyone spends the fortnight living in Apsley and eating in the Dining Hall – totally immersing themselves in the creative process.

The residency culminates in the Catalyst Showcase (Friday 12 April) which launches Alchymy Festival, a whole weekend of events celebrating new voices and exciting ideas in theatre.

ArtsLab exists to give opportunities to young people who are at the very start of their careers in the arts – so in the five years since Catalyst was launched, we’ve had the privilege of watching the journeys of these emerging writers & directors – and support them along the way.

Playwright Siofra Dromgoole wrote Walk Swiftly and With Purpose – a tumbling, touching story of four female friends on the brink of adulthood – during last year’s Catalyst residency. Since then, her play has toured to the Edinburgh Fringe and Theatre503 in London – and we’re delighted to bring the show back to Oxford for two performances (Saturday 13 April 2pm & 6pm) as part of this year’s festival.

Siofra has since been co-commissioned by St Edward’s and The North Wall to write a new play especially for Theatre Soc members. ‘The Drama Department was keen to have an emerging playwright who would be able to give time and work closely with the pupils – which was a wonderful fit for me, since I knew how much use it would be for me to learn more about writing through workshops and watching my work performed’ says Siofra. The resulting play, If It Didn’t Matter, initially drew its inspiration from Henry IV Part I, exploring themes of rivalry, rebellion and responsibility. But, explains Siofra, things have since shifted: ‘The great thing about working so closely with Katrina and the pupils has been the chance to realise what worked in their voices and from their point of view – the themes and nature of the play have evolved to reflect those preoccupations.’

Culture vultures will have to wait until Gaudy to see the final production before it heads north to the Edinburgh Fringe – but can get their theatre fix at The North Wall at Alchymy from 12 – 14 April. View the festival programme here.

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Rugby took centre-stage again this week with the showpiece of all schools’ Rugby 7s tournaments: Rosslyn Park. The National Sevens tournament sees hundreds of teams and some 9,000 players descend on south-west London for this most prestigious of tournaments that draws teams from across the globe.

St Edward’s entered sides in all three of the boys’ age groups this season. First to play were the 1st VII who were looking to improve and achieve what so few teams do in reaching the second day of the tournament for the third time in four years. The 12-man squad had a simply outstanding day amongst a field of 280 teams, winning all of their Pool matches against some reputable sides, often by sizeable margins – most notably a 59-5 drubbing of XVs rivals Malvern. Their first match was against RGS Worcester and they had the added and rare bonus of being selected for live broadcast. The 1st VII did themselves proud with a 19-5 opener, following it up with a powerful performance against Prior Park which they won 45-0. As the afternoon games began, Teddies found themselves on the main show pitch, with live broadcast and full commentary to accompany their 33-5 win over Reed’s, before the match against Malvern completed the pool stage. 

The elimination match drew Teddies against one of the perennial tournament favourites in Epsom. The scoreline didn’t tell the story in what was actually a highly competitive game, but unfortunately the match ended 0-27. Teddies held their opposition to a nil-nil second half until the very last minute which showed their strength of character under such a tough onslaught by a team that recently won the prestigious Surrey 7s by beating Cranleigh in the final.

Wednesday brought entry to the Bowl competition and an opener against last year’s Vase finalists, St Peter’s, York. St Peter’s showed their mettle and demonstrated why their name comes with a reputation, but a final win by 46 to 17 against an Eastborne side that had already seen off Marlborough and Wycliffe among others was no bad way to end the tournament for the 1st VII.

Particular congratulations to Will James whose performances saw him picked out as one of the tournament’s best players by several Head Coaches and tournament organisers. With well over ten tries to his name over the two days of competition, he was one of the highest try-scorers of the tournament which is a remarkable achievement. For many of the Upper Sixth it was their last touch of the oval ball for Teddies, and Tom Wyles and Will Monks scored a wonderful interception try and a deftly-taken conversion respectively to finish off their rugby playing careers in style. 

Both the U16s and U14s found themselves in competitive groups. The U16 VII deserve credit for their battling displays and can be pleased with the tries they scored, with two each against Eton, Malvern and Hampton. The U14s should also be mightily proud of their performances, with tight games throughout their pool matches ensuring that, though they didn’t proceed beyond the pool stage, they could leave the tournament on Thursday with their heads held high and with the experience of having played in the world’s biggest rugby tournament. They began with a 19-21 loss to RGS Worcester before running Cheltenham close at 26-38 and finishing their matches with a 19-42 defeat against another of those strong Epsom sides.

All-in-all, an excellent tournament for St Edward’s to conclude a Sevens season that has promised much and produced it on more than one occasion.

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What a standard was achieved for this year’s Battle of the Bands! Whether it was the bluesy sounds of YZ85, the mellow Radiohead-like qualities of In limbo, or the guitar improvisations within Notes from the Underground, there was something for everyone. It was brilliant to see so many original songs – the evening started with two originals from The Sofaheads, and almost every band followed suit with new writing.

The adjudicating panel of celebrated composer, Harry Lightfoot, and producer to the stars, Sam Featherstone, had more than a bit of a challenge on their hands selecting between the five acts that had made it through the heats to Saturday’s final. But decide they did and enormous congratulations are owed to winning band Vendetta – a classy rock band with driving vocals and heavy guitar solos.

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The North Wall gallery is exhibiting works of art from the School this week. Unusually, though, this is not an exhibition of pupils’ work, but a selection of pieces by members of the Art Department’s staff, all of whom are practicing and celebrated artists. 

The exhibition, entitled 395, is actually the first exhibited collaboration between this particular group of the school’s arts teachers, with Head of Art Adam Hahn, and members of his team Jane Bowen, Phil Jolley, Sharon Keen, Peter Lloyd-Jones, Nick Permain and Lorraine Turley showing work across a wide range of media. 

Adam Hahn’s exhibited work focuses on ‘selfies’ taken by others and the perspectives of self-expression one can determine from their images. Ceramicist, Phil Jolley, and potter Jane Bowen have, between them, produced an exciting and engaging array of pieces for the exhibition. Sharon Keen has produced a completely unique series of pieces for the exhibition as each print uses natural elements and cannot be replicated. Peter Lloyd-Jones is exhibiting four of his large-scale ink drawings which are based on interiors and still life studies and are preliminary studies for oil paintings. Nick Permain’s exhibited work focuses on reflections of moving house and ‘the memories of the the home that we take with us’, whilst Lorraine Turley’s canvas paintings also draw on memories, in her case, memories of landscapes and places she has visited in Scotland and Iceland. 

The exhibition is available until Friday 3rd May, and many of these fantastic pieces are available to purchase.

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Head Librarian, Sarah Eldred, gives us her take on the information revolution

St Edward’s prides itself on being a community in which pupils thrive and develop a passion for independent learning. While the foundations are being laid for the Library we are also laying foundations for the use of this new space in line with our academic and wider school ethos.

As Head Librarian at Teddies I enjoy collaborating in the many interesting, inspiring and creative ways in which members of the School engage pupils in learning. However, whilst it has increasingly been recognised that there are multiple ways to teach and multiple ways to learn, our perception and use of libraries has not always changed to reflect the evolution of education. I’ve had many conversations over the years with people from all walks of life who wonder aloud if libraries are even needed any more. I always respond with, ‘Yes! – But let’s talk about what a library actually is and should be’.

Libraries are often thought of as simply collections of books but the real purpose of a library is to bring together resources that inspire and to provide a space in which to increase your knowledge, to develop ideas, to discover things which make your brain tick and fizz and spill over into passions and hobbies. A modern library is not just about books; a book is simply one type of resource and whilst books still play an important part in academia and reading for pleasure, we no longer always turn to a book in the first instance but instead reach for our phones and a web page. We have so many different ways now of finding information that increasingly librarians are called upon to teach how to find the best information and what to do with it once you have it. Although we don’t know what the future holds for information and the way we access it we do know things will continue to develop and change. To prepare pupils to navigate these changes we need to provide multiple formats and opportunities for developing flexibility in their approach to learning and information gathering.

A successful school library, therefore, is a collaborative space which brings together the whole community. It should be an active learning space which responds and adapts to the needs of its users, catering for various working preferences and abilities, acknowledging that different people have different needs. It should be a neutral space not tied to any one department or discipline, a place of possibility and imagination.

The vision for the new Library includes providing traditional elements – there will be plenty of books and places to work quietly – but our main aim is to encourage pupils to enjoy the space and develop a passion for discovery. This means providing a variety of designated silent, quiet and collaborative spaces that can be used according to need. Most importantly it means engaging pupils in the Library in ways which make them want to be there so that later, when they have to be there, they feel confident. Activities such as filming for YouTube videos with the use of a green screen, using augmented reality apps, competitions, poetry slams and movie nights may become as commonplace as book groups and quiet reading time.

What excites me about being a librarian is that I get to share pupils’ enthusiasm about whatever it is that makes them passionate to learn. I’m not tied to one discipline or interest: if a pupil wants to know more about economic theories, or rock climbing, or coding, I have a book for that… and a magazine or two, and multiple credible websites, and access to academic journal articles.

In preparing for the new building over the last couple of years the Library at Teddies has changed from a ‘Sixth Form space’ to a ‘whole school space’. With some simple furniture changes, colourful and lively book displays and quirky additions such as neon-coloured earplugs, the physical space has become lighter, brighter and more congenial. Shells now regularly raid the fiction area for more books to read in the hope of winning the Reading Challenge and Sixth Form pupils often visit for help with research projects. As we move into the new Library it’s my hope and intention that we take this spirit with us and the Library increasingly becomes a place where pupils choose to be.

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The Kendall Charity Ball was a great success this year, with pupils, teachers and parents alike enjoying a fabulous night of fundraising and entertainment, writes Lower Sixth Former, Ben Courtney-Guy.

The House was in fine form as the boys looked to raise money in support of this year’s school charity, Plastic Tides, and Maths Teacher, Mr Chitsenga’s charity, SuchHope. 

An impressive sum was raised by the silent auction, which was made up of items generously donated by parents. The lots included a stay in a fabulous holiday home, another on a narrow boat, a brace of shooting lessons and a particularly impressive selection of fine wines and champagnes. 

Perhaps the highlight of the evening, however, was the efforts from the Shells and Fourth Form, who participated in a dice-based horse race. Chits were trading hands all around as a public auction saw each ‘horse’ traded in a bid to own the winning steed, which proved to be Noah Brash in the Shells! 

The House and our guests also had the pleasure of listening to Upper Sixth Former, Benjy Bailey’s, soothing jazz music as they chatted and treated themselves to a host of desserts which had been kindly donated by parents. 

It was an evening conducted in the very best of spirits and will live long in the memory of the House. Many thanks to Mr Waghorn for his efforts in organising such an excellent evening.

The House would also like to thank parents and members of the school community for their generosity on the evening which, together with further bids made before the close of the silent auction on Sunday 5th May, helped the House to raise approximately £8,500 for our chosen charities.

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It has been a bumper week of athletics, and the Club have certainly jumped to and delivered some results to celebrate.

In the first of the events at Marlborough, both the boys and girls teams were in particularly fine form. Among the seniors, Jenny Hannah won both the 800m and 1500m A string events, Fiona Bristow won the 100m A (with a new school record) and Long Jump A, Fergus Flory won the 800m A and came joint first in the 400m A and Livi Tomacelli won the 100m B and came second in the 200m A, the girls won the 4x100m relay and the boys came second in theirs behind Eton, whilst Louis Williams won the Long Jump A and the 100m B. Among the Inters Grace Flynn was victorious in the Discus A, Lily Helling won the High Jump A, Ibrahim Khan won the Javelin overall and Sophie Tompkins placed third in the Javelin A, whilst Charlotte Churchman came second in the 200m A and Sam Gorton third in the 800m A.

At the Radley Relays the senior boys sprint medley team of Matthew Walton, Daniel Hoggar, Felix Burton and Fergus Flory set a new school record time of 3 minutes 45 seconds running their respective legs of 200m, 200m, 400m and 800m. 

In the City Schools Championships the Shells and Fourth Form had a day to remember, with the Shell Boys crowned City Champions, the Shell Girls taking second place and the Inter Boys and Girls both taking third place. Among the huge array of individual performance highlights, there were first places for Dylan Jones in the High Jump, Oliver Sedgwick in the 300m, Egor Varivoda in the Discus, Hermione Brewster in the 800m (who also came second in the 1500m and third in the High Jump), and William Robertson-Acolet in the 400m. There were also second places for Hamza Ali in the 200m (who also placed third in the 100m), Freddie Walton in the Triple Jump (with third in the High Jump), Ted Cole in the Shot Put, Matthew Whittaker in the High Jump (with a new school record of 1.85m), Andrew Rush in the 200m (who also took third in the 100m), George Knee in the Triple Jump, Ruby Freeland in the Discus and Lila Howard in the Javelin.

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The academic ethos at St Edward’s is fuelled by a number of complementary principles and beliefs. We urge our pupils to look to long term life goals rather than just exam results; we encourage pupils to be reflective and to find their own solutions to challenges; and we value and promote a range of different learning techniques, actively helping our pupils to understand which work best for them. The Shell Curriculum introduces our youngest pupils to these concepts, and the new academic facilities being built in the Quad will enable us to embed them ever more firmly into school life. Sixth Former Octavia Hamilton talked to Deputy Head Academic, Matthew Albrighton, about these principles, how they shape our academic approach and how they impact our understanding of what it means to be successful.

Can you tell us how the balance between passion and structure supports our academic ethos at Teddies?

There has been an interesting transition from the historical view of teaching as a series of inspirational ‘performances’ from the front of the classroom, to today’s focus on developing within pupils the skills to allow them to learn. I hope that at St Edward’s we get the balance right. The real danger of relying on an inspirational approach is that if the inspiration misfires, it can leave a large number of pupils behind. However, at the other extreme, there is a danger of being instrumentalist, too skills focused, where pupils switch off and are uninspired by the experience.

What are the academic standards for Teddies as an institution?

I would change standards to expectations and ambitions. What I think we do very well here and what I hope is beginning to be well understood is the notion that if you come to Teddies and you believe you can grow, you can achieve great things. Belief and effort will develop into confidence, so what we’re looking for are pupils in whom we believe we can instil the confidence to grow.

Honesty is an interesting expectation. Teachers are at their best when pupils are honest and straightforward. We don’t want to create a sense that if you make a mistake or fail, it’s a bad thing. The important thing is to be honest and to want to improve. Honesty leads to reflection which is a vital factor in moving forward. The most important of our academic expectations is a genuine willingness to engage, to be involved, to use feedback and to take a risk with learning and this will lead to better exam results.

You mentioned that you don’t want pupils to think of failure as a bad thing. How do you define failure? How should the pupils define failure?

Failure is not a permanent condition. If you try something and it hasn’t worked, don’t wallow in it, just try again. There’s a famous quote by Samuel Beckett: ‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ This is a powerful mantra for Teddies. The worst thing is to allow yourself to keep making the same mistake over and over again. That’s not failure, that’s an act of futility.

How do you define success? How should the pupils define success?

This can be very difficult to unpick because ultimately society defines success by position: if you find yourself in a certain position you are seen to be successful. I really hope we don’t perpetuate this belief system at Teddies. If an individual chooses a certain path and wants to define success in a particular way, that’s fine, but we, as a school, hope to instil in our pupils an understanding of what it means to be a successful human being, and that’s a very different thing. At Teddies, we want success to be defined on a much broader level: as not only achieving in exams, but most importantly, growing as a person, learning from others and having compassion. We want to create successful adults, and that means developing the traits of empathy, compassion and kindness. Being a good businessman might make you a great deal of money – but is that enough? Success should be creating a richly textured life for yourself and those around you and that is what the culture at Teddies is all about – not just the good exam results, but enabling pupils to become mature and compassionate human beings. This might seem idealistic, but if education is not idealistic then what is the point?

How does Teddies differ in its academic goals and principles to other schools? Is there a specific atmosphere?

We are against making decisions about children at a young age based purely on raw academic results. We actively seek young people who have more to offer our community than simply being good at exams. Making decisions based solely on results can preclude a whole host of people with different talents, abilities and enthusiasms, and it’s this breadth that makes the Teddies community so alive and refreshing.

Is our academic culture distinct from the overall culture of Teddies?

I hope not. What I’ve tried to do, since I came to this school, is to make sure that we align the general ethos of development across all areas of school life: an ethos of collaboration, kindness and respect, in the classroom, in House, on the playing fields, in the Recital Room, on stage: everywhere, in fact. With that comes success – however we define it – and the ability to continue to grow. If you disconnect the academic ethos from school ethos, there’s a problem: they cannot be separate.

Which areas need more development?

The collaborative element still needs work. We have taken huge strides, but there is always room to improve. I’d like us to have a more universal approach to service which applies inside and outside the classroom. We can work on this collectively and structurally. The busy timetable can be a challenge and perhaps we can inadvertently imply a skewed set of priorities. Kindness and service are really important and, as I’ve said, fundamental to our view of what makes us good human beings – but of course these things are difficult to timetable. We need to think about how we build our values into our school systems.

How has the examination style changed? Is this reflected in the Teddies’ ethos?

The IB has a more varied set of assessment criteria than A Levels and that’s one of the reasons why it has become so popular. I think we, as a school, would favour assessment criteria which embrace greater variety to explore strengths in different ways. Traditional examination styles employ narrow assessment criteria, placing them somewhat at odds with the School’s principles and ideologies. It can be difficult to adhere to the School’s wholehearted belief in the importance of metacognition (learning about learning) if we have to stick to a really narrow path.

We are currently looking at how we can develop ourselves, here at Teddies, to enhance prescribed courses such as GCSEs to bring them into line with what we believe to be the right education for young people facing life as adults in these early years of the 21st century.

What are your top three values? Why do you think they’re important and how will you embed them in school life?

Above all else: compassion. As the world moves towards automation and artificial intelligence, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that humans are at the centre of everything. We face the world better and enjoy life more if we have compassion. Further, if we define success as bringing out the best in the people around us, an emphasis on collaboration and respect for other people – taking the time to understand different points of view – is equally important.

We face a particular challenge in Western society as traditional models of leadership stem from the legacy of an autocratic, male-dominated culture. Things are changing rapidly: the autocratic style is becoming less successful. Increasingly, decisions are made collaboratively and with compassion.

What do you want the pupils to take away from Teddies?

The belief that they can continue to grow, but that they can’t do it without others; and others can’t do it without them. I hope pupils leave Teddies understanding that if they pursue their goals at the expense of others, it is not success in the way that we understand it.

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Today – Thursday 6th June 2019 – marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy; to date, the greatest seaborne invasion in history. Operation Neptune (the seaborne landing element of Operation Overlord) saw over 150,000 men land on the beaches of the Normandy coast to establish their five initial beachheads, supported by hundreds of escort vessels, minesweepers and aircraft, all preceded by the deployment of 24,000 men of the allied parachute regiments. 

As explained by the School Archivist, Chris Nathan OSE, it is challenging to say precisely how many of the 1,700 OSE in service were directly involved on D-Day itself, or the days immediately following it, known as the Battle of Normandy. Through the analysis of troop and ship movements, Chris places an estimate of 10 to 15 OSE involved in operations on 6th June 1944, with a further 30 involved up to and including Operation Market Garden. 

Among those involved was Peter Coop OSE, who landed on Sword Beach with the Rifle Brigade. He survived the landings but was killed just one week later on D-Day+7.

Another to land on Sword Beach was Major Anthony (known as Tony) Lewis OSE of No 6 Commando, and formerly the Dorsetshire Regiment, who at the age of just 24 was required to take on the command of No 6 Commando following the loss of senior officers, and was later awarded the DSO – an account of Tony’s remarkable experiences will feature in the upcoming Chronicle.

Michael Parker OSE pictured for the School Cricket XI in 1939, from the School Archives

American-born Mario Sorrel OSE landed on the infamous Omaha Beach with the American 120th Infantry, surviving the landings, but was killed in action a month later. 

Sadly, two OSE who survived the fighting on D-Day died recently: Michael Parker OSE (pictured left) who died on 30th May 2019, just one week prior to the 75th anniversary commemorations and had been a Gunnery Officer on HMS Warspite, the battleship which fired the first shots of the entire operation; and Edward Burn OSE who landed on the British beaches with the Buckinghamshire Regiment who had the remarkable accolade of having landed on the beach with dry feet after clinging onto the tank barrel of a landing craft having professed a strong aversion to fighting in wet socks and boots!

Several OSE also flew sorties in fighters and bombers to support the landings, and several more were among the naval escorts. Of the more than 1,700 OSE who served in the Second World War, 150 lost their lives, whilst 79 OSE fought in both the first and the second world wars. 

Chris Nathan’s book on St Edward’s and the OSE involvement in the Second World War, Let it Roar, Let it Rage, We Shall Come Through will be published in the autumn.

The photograph at the top of the page shows US troops playing baseball during some R-and-R on the Lower Fields in May 1944 shortly before the invasion began. 

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Maths Teacher and Honorary OSE Secretary, John Wiggins, reports on the action from the Teddies Martyrs Triathlon at the end of Half Term:

The St Edward’s teaching staff and OSE combined to put out nine relay teams and five individuals for the 2019 Bloodwise Blenheim Triathlon on Sunday 2nd June. Impressively, three of the teams finished in the top ten. OSE, Rory Jordan, set up a top team of contemporaries with Chris Forsythe and Nigel McGleave (formerly, Munoz) but then had to pull put, drafting in Alex Newton for the running element to finish an impressive fourth in 1 Hour and 16 minutes. Eight placed were Team Kendall (OSE, Alex Cavill, Kendall AHM, Tom Holdsworth and the Bursar’s ‘Son-in-law’, Harry Bulbeck) completing the three disciplines in 78 minutes. Another full OSE team was only two minutes behind them in 10th place comprising Jamie Fraser, Alex Smith and George Creed with two more teams in the top twenty.

Of the individual swim-bike-runners, Head of Religious Studies, Phillip Mallaband, completed the three disciplines in an impressive 88 minutes. Youth defeated experience with father and son, John and Alex Wiggins (OSE) both in their first “and last” triathlons finishing within five minutes of one another and well within their target times.

The whole team was resplendent in bespoke t-shirts from OSE, Alex Walker’s Indigo Clothing company. Catering by the school’s tireless Catering Department kept everyone nourished in the Teddies Marquee managed by David Smart from the OSE Office from where Emma Grounds had done much of the planning. There is huge enthusiasm for a return next year. Moving images were captured by OSE Ned Stewart while the stills were taken by another OSE, Hamish Roots. A full gallery of Hamish’s photographs can be viewed here.

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Though the weather for June is frightful; take joy from Gaudy’s arrival; so now we have a place to go; give us a show, give us a show, give us a show!

Ladies and gentlemen, the long wait is over: Gaudy Week is upon us. Months of effort have gone into the orchestration, rehearsals and other preparations for this most glorious of summer festivals and, with the first formal events taking place on Friday 28th June, all the work is about to pay off. 

Pupils, staff, parents, families and friends can attend 18 official events over the course of the week, whilst countless other trips, activities, sports and pursuits afford the School the perfect send off into the summer at the conclusion of the school year. A few tickets are still available for some events – if you haven’t booked yours yet do head over to the booking site (available here) to confirm your seats.

Epic musical performances bookend the events schedule this year, with a special Warden’s Recital getting the ball rolling on Friday 28th June at 5.00pm, as professional opera singer, Elizabeth Williamson, performs a programme of the most popular arias from well-known operas, accompanied by pianist Mauricio Javier Barra. At the far end of the Gaudy Week schedule, we conclude with a showstopping concert on Thursday 4th July at 8.00pm in Oxford University’s Sheldonian Theatre. The Gaudy Concert brings together the Chapel Choirs, Singers and Festival Orchestra to perform Mozart’s Requiem and Flute Concerto in D, with Benjy Bailey the soloist. Tickets for the Sheldonian Gaudy Concert are available here.

The music doesn’t stop there either; don’t miss the might of the Bands Festival, the prowess of the Songwriters’ Collective, the suaveness of Jazz from the House Band, the intimacy of the Close Harmony Showcase or the final bow of the Upper Sixth Leavers’ Platform.

An appetite for the dramatic can be sated by one of the three performances each of the Edinburgh Fringe and Lower School plays. Both have an overtone of teenage pressures, with If It Didn’t Matter tackling loss, angst, depression, rebellion and growing responsibility, and 500 Words some of the challenges of academic life and chasing deadlines. Elsewhere, the spoken word gets a full airing with the monologues and duologues of the LAMDA Presentation Evening on Saturday 29th June at 8.00pm.

The perennially popular Dance Show changes format and venue this year, resurfacing in the Marquee for a one-show extravaganza of style and sophistication, on Wednesday evening at 8.00pm, as Fergus Flory takes up the role of the iconic Bond of silver-screened legend along with more than 50 dancers re-interpreting the world of 007 in dance form.

The art and design exhibitions get a bumper edition face lift for 2019, occupying multiple venues and incorporating photography and an art auction of work by Arkadiy Petrov in support of the school’s charity, Plastic Tides. The Private View and Drinks Reception on Thursday 4th July is being hosted by the Friends of St Edward’s from 5.00pm, offering a perfect aperitif to the Gaudy Concert at the Sheldonian later in the evening – concert tickets include return travel from the Lodge.

The academic creativity and acumen of the Shells and Fourth Form are showcased on Friday 28th June and Wednesday 3rd July with the Warden’s Project Final for the Fourth Form and the Shell Science Exhibition and Presentations. The Shells, working in groups, demonstrate their proposals for how the School could become more environmentally sustainable. Meanwhile the innovative and thought-provoking ideas and artefacts of the Fourth Form’s Warden’s Project entries will be on display and introduced by the pupils on Friday evening at 8pm. Finalists this year include crime-reducing websites and affordable prosthetic limbs. 

There is so much to look forward to before the curtain finally comes down on the term and the academic year, and all this before the prizes and speeches of Gaudy itself on Friday 5th July from 11.00am in the Marquee. The year may be ending, but what a way to sign off!

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The Henley Briefing is provided by Maths teacher, OSE Honorary Secretary and former Master in Charge of Rowing, John Wiggins:

The 2019 Henley Royal Regatta is upon us with an exciting few days to come.

The School 1st VIII has been lying in wait all season and only emerged after the National Schools’ Regatta (NSR), combining the School 1st IV, two Lower Sixth who have been ploughing patiently up and down all year and the top two J16 boys. The combination burst into action at Reading Amateur Regatta with a win in the School Junior eights beating four schools, including Abingdon, in the final. This pitched them highly up the schools’ ranking, which was solidified at Marlow Regatta where they finished only a short distance behind NSR finalists, Shrewsbury and Eton. The consequence was again revealed in a wise choice of Selected crews by the Henley Stewards for the Princess Elizabeth Cup draw which again included Teddies. They face qualifiers, King’s Canterbury on Wednesday at 11.05am with the winner likely to meet KCS Wimbledon on the Thursday – a crew St Edward’s beat at Reading to establish them already as King killers. To speculate beyond that would be ambitious but if selections are to be a guide, a meeting with St Paul’s on Friday would be as tough as they come!

The 2nd (all J16) VIII rowed really well in the Qualifying race for the Temple Challenge Cup and finished in the middle of the pack of non-qualifiers, but beat a good number of university crews and other school 2nd eights. They will be back keener than ever in 2020.

The draw is to be found here and the racing timetable for Wednesday here. If you are unable to get to the Regatta, all races are being streamed live via this link.

OSE Watch

We have a bumper collection of OSE to follow in addition to the School VIII. Safely through the qualifying race last Friday:

In the Thames Cup Will Morgan for Kingston RC, and Hamish Floyd (still) doing battle for Upper Thames B join Rupert Singfield who pre-qualifed with Tyne RC along with Bea Crossley (nee Searle) coxing the Upper Thames A eight.

In the Temple Challenge Cup Max Thompson is in the box seat with Brookes A while Dave Wilcox and Sam Shuker (who will cox) race for Newcastle University while Ben Sthamer rows for the UL B eight.

The Wyfolds sees Alex Simmonds with City of Oxford now joined by Charlie Gosling who qualified in the Marlow A four.

The Prince Albert (for student fours) is appropriately contested by none other than Oscar (von Hannover) Nick with Campbell Nelson driving the St Andrews crew along.

After a long haul from injury and surgery Stewart Innes had to take the qualifying route into the Diamond Sculls but did so in style. Following his win last year with Molesey BC in the Wyfolds, Oli Knight races with them again but in the prestigious Ladies Plate where we shall also see current SESBC coach, Mike Glover rowing again for the mighty and selected Oxford Brookes.

Teddies English teacher and Rowing coach, Katie Greves has again been lured back into a boat to row with a Headington School Alumni crew, qualifying for the Remenham Cup.

We are always grateful for the coaching – and I am sure that all of the coaches of our OSE are grateful to Teddies for the excellent standards imparted by the school’s coaches, and especially Jonny Singfield who can take the credit for most of these fine fellows. But let’s give a shout for those OSE who are themselves coaching. In the final year of what has been a remarkable stint at Thames RC, Ben Lewis has several crews looking to retain trophies, if not add to the tally, while Adam Donaldson has the privilege of coaching the UK Armed Forces crew in the centenary King’s Cup event. Hamish Roots, when not taking wonderful photographs (search lightoverwater) will be coaching crews from Nottingham RC.

Please alert me to any others that have not yet been spotted.

Finally, we wish our OSE Henley Stewards (Pat Delafield, Lynton Richmond and Peter Thomas) all the best as they run the most prestigious regatta in the world.

The post The Henley Briefing – Day 1 appeared first on St Edward’s School.

The latest news from Henley Royal Regatta, provided by John Wiggins, with results from Day One and the early race on Day Two, plus the briefing for the remainder of the day.

The Teddies eight faced a tidy but far less experienced Kings Canterbury crew on the first round and duly came home comfortably ahead to set up a 2nd round race against KCS Wimbledon. While there was a tailwind blowing, the intermediate times of 1:49 and 3:08 are encouraging. Re-live Teddies first race here.

Casualties in the first round of the PE were old foes, Hampton and Abingdon, Pangbourne and Bedford; while all British seeded crews went through two of the American crews went out to British opposition.

Early this morning, in the second race of the day, the St Edward’s eight put in another composed performance to defeat KCS Wimbledon by 1 3/4 lengths. You can watch this morning’s race here. They will face off with perennial contenders St Paul’s School on Friday, who have posted split times at the Barrier and at Fawley in close proximity to our own; it could be quite the race.

OSE Watch

The Thames Challenge Cup lived up to its name with valiant second places going to Messrs Singfield (Tyne RC), Morgan (Kingston RC) and Floyd (UTRC) though Bea Crossley (Searle) coxed the UTRC A VIII to victory.

The Temple Challenge Cup saw anticipated success for Dave Wilcox and Sam Shuker in the Newcastle VIII and for Max Thompson for Brookes A. Sadly, UL B went out despite the best efforts of Ben Sthamer.

One of the closest races of the day surely had to be that of Charlie Gosling’s Marlow RC winning by a mere 3 feet in the Wyfolds. 

Also in the Wyfolds, Alex Simmonds’ City of Oxford Crew race again today as do Oscar Nick and Campbell Nelson for St Andrew’s in the PA.

Entering the fray but up against one of the toughest opponents is Stewart Innes in the Diamonds while Miss Greves is quietly confident of progression in the Headington Remenham eight.

We wish them all (hoping I have not missed anyone) well as we do the Henley Royal Regatta computer that has been struggling all day!

The post Henley – Day Two briefing appeared first on St Edward’s School.

The third instalment of the Henley Briefing, by John Wiggins:

The Teddies machine rolls on, picking up speed with every outing. A better row on Thursday morning, despite the early start, made sure of victory over a determined KCS Wimbledon who refused to roll over.

[INSERT photo here – see second edition!]

The reward for this is a showdown with the National Schools gold medallists, St Paul’s on Friday at the prime time of 3pm.

While not as overwhelming as the incredible crew of 2018, these boys are still a crew to beat should a win at Henley remain in your plans. The boys will need to be at their best and some to achieve this but will do just that and certainly give them their toughest race.

OSE Watch

Katie Greves’ Headington Alumni crew looked strong but were just short of the speed needed to overcome the Tideway Scullers/Imperial crew in the Remenham Cup heat on Thursday. Other casualties included Charlie Gosling’s Marlow four and Stewart Innes in the Diamond Sculls. Stewart was up against the Norwegian international, and losing finalist from the 2018 Regatta, K Borch, and while clearly having pace, was not able to stay with the more established single sculler. We wish Stewart every success in his continued comeback from injury.

Meanwhile, Max Thompson continues in the Brookes A Temple Cup crew with a win over University of London on Thursday evening setting them for a tough fixture at 10.30am on Friday morning – but let’s face it, all Friday races are tough! Also through to the quarter-finals (at 11.05am) were the OSE duo, Dave Wilcox and Sam Shuker whose Newcastle University eight beat Edinburgh in the first race of the day on Thursday, just ahead of our School eight.

The Prince Albert crews didn’t race today so we wish Oscar and Campbell the best for their St Andrew’s crew on Friday morning (racing at 10.45 am).

And to round it all off we have the OSE (and Friends) tea in the afternoon at the Henley Cricket Club car park. All are welcome.

See you there.
John Wiggins

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Congratulations to our IB pupils who posted a strong set of results on Saturday.

As ever, a number of pupils achieved outstanding results. Ilana Cope scored 44 points, just one short of the maximum, and will take up her place to read Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Robinson College, Cambridge, after a gap year.

Kyla Haslett-Hawkins, Tim Hohage and Kais Mussa all achieved 42 points. Tim will spend a gap year undertaking a number of internships and plans to study Engineering at a German university the following year; Kyla will study Law at Durham; and Kais will take up his place at Columbia University in the US.

Michael Proskuryakov scored 41 points and will also head to the US – to the University of Virginia. Sybilla Hamilton and Alice Isola scored 40 points; Octavia Hamilton, Anish Mehta, Bianca Pigorini, Josh Moore and Pippa Smith, 39 points; and Henry Parsons, 38 points. Pippa will study Law at Bristol; Josh will study Dentistry at Cardiff; Octavia will study History and Modern Languages after a gap year; and Anish will now apply to study Medicine.

Izzy Degroot, Evie Faber, Maria Gorovater, Hattie Harries-Jones, Lucy Hope, Charles Lappin, and Arkadiy Petrov all achieved 37 points.

The Warden, Stephen Jones, said, ‘With more than half our Upper Sixth taking the IB this year, this is our biggest cohort ever. A point score of 37 or above equates to a string of A* and A grades at A Level and we are delighted to see so many pupils achieve such high marks. Beyond these stellar results, countless more pupils worked extremely hard and were rewarded with the results they need to attend top universities in the UK and overseas.

Across IB and A Level, the range of university courses applied for is astonishing, from Anthropology and Sustainable Development, to Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science. The most popular subjects this year are Geography, Philosophy, Psychology, Biology/Biomedical Sciences, History and Law. Courses in Fine Art, English, Physics and History of Art are also popular.

At Higher Level, 51% of all grades were at Levels 7/6, and 85% were Levels 7-5.

Please note that the above is based on the latest information available – re-marks may be applied and university choices are subject to change. Please let the Communications team know of any updates at vanderheident@stedwardsoxford.org.

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The end of the year at Teddies is an occasion like few others; the Gaudy Week festival is a behemoth celebration of all aspects of school life. As the inspirational lead behind the whole operation, Director of Music and the Arts, Alex Tester, put it: over the course of 9 days, the school has had 76 rehearsals, 37 academic events, workshops and trips, 20 major cultural events and 20 major sporting fixtures or events. Simply said, this is some considerable undertaking for the whole school, but what a result!

From the first bar of the rousing Warden’s Special Opera Recital on Friday to the last perfectly pitched note reverberating around the glorious acoustics and surrounds of The Sheldonian Theatre the following Thursday, Gaudy Week was a triumph of the academic, dramatic, artistic and the sporting. Congratulations to one and all on sending the School off into the summer on such a resoundingly successful footing.

Do look out for a full report on Gaudy Week in the upcoming Chronicle and for the Gaudy film, produced by Celia Hodgson OSE, in the next E News.

You can find listed below all of the prize winners from Gaudy:

The post Gaudy Finale – ending the year on a high appeared first on St Edward’s School.

On the 8th July, a couple of days after Gaudy, a group of 12 Teddies students and 3 teachers found themselves in the middle of the bustling footsteps of Heathrow Airport, shouldering 65-litre rucksacks with highly fashionable walking boots. We stood together as relative strangers about to embark on an adventure which would soon unite us.

The journey was made long and tiring from the extensive waiting times between flights, but morale was kept high by the excitement of reaching Malawi and the large variety of films shown by Ethiopian Airlines. As we watched, the spaghetti-winding motorways of London carrying a stream of orange lights were replaced by the veins of dusty orange tracks branching off from the main tarmac road of Malawi. As we got off the plane, our faces were hit by the familiar heat of holiday.

A bright yellow bus welcomed us at the Blantyre Airport and took us to Kabula Lodge, a simple but neat accommodation not far from the village we’d be heading for the following day. The meals were delicious and buffet-style from which we readily helped ourselves to pancakes, chicken and chips. However, perhaps what was most shocking – yet equally oddly charming – was driving past the morning market: men, women, children sitting poised photogenically outside their stalls made with tall, whittled sticks; some walking to school; others carrying enormous loads on their bicycles; all curiously staring after us waving. The smell of burning coal and plastic filled our noses as we gawked at the mountains which circled majestically around us, the sun painting them gold.

Finally, we turned off onto a bumpy dirt track which wound its way round hand-tilled fields & a couple of brick houses with their corrugated-iron roofs held on by stone piles. Scrawny- looking trees lined the road as our driver expertly avoided most pot holes. Then we heard the children. A few at first who leapt up waving leafy branches after the bus, but then more and more joined in with the song “Hey! Ho! The visitors have arrived!”. Their eager faces beaming as they ran, some barefoot, others in crocs or flip-flops, one with her cup strapped on to her uniform. You could almost touch them. It was a moving experience which I think drove our efforts on the project.

At around 1 o’clock the opening ceremony was about to begin. We each grabbed a chair and carried it over to a large empty space behind a classroom, but we were hilariously put to shame when some children – perhaps half our size – took over and carried 3 chairs with ease. Forming a square with the teachers lining the bottom, and the children on either side, 3 women opened the ceremony with drums and dancing, urging us to join in – which despite the heat and our unfamiliarity with the dance moves (making them roar with laughter), it was remembered as a highlight of the trip. The gracious speeches made by a representative of each group, showed the warm welcoming nature of the villagers which was made even more vivid by sharing with us some traditional entertainment – dancers dressed head to foot in feathers to the beat of a maraca or having to take off an infinite number of layers after a display of vigorous and impressive footwork. As the ceremony came to a close, it was now our turn to share some dances, activities and songs with the community. All desperate to be included in the handshakes, ‘Hokey-Cokey’ and ‘Duck-Duck-Goose’ the rest of the evening flew by. It was relatively late when we retreated to our beautifully, handmade compound of bamboo to set up our dorms and mosquito nets in some classrooms generously offered by the school.

As we brushed our teeth under the clear sky, wrapped up in a few more layers, we gazed at the stars. The moon was so bright we hardly needed a torch to go to the loo, the long drop loo, which required a certain getting used to but were, in the end, largely accepted amongst the group.

We woke up refreshed and ready for our first porridge ladle of many to the sound of children’s school morning chants. After being split into two groups we headed off on the scenic path towards the project site.

We made fast progress on the first day, getting used to digging many holes with a crow-bar-like pole for the playground & learning how to mix cement & build upon the loo block foundations. With delicious snacks ranging from ‘mandazies’ (surprisingly irresistible Malawian snacks made from rice mix and oil) to papaya & pip-full yet tangy oranges, the project grew around us – the wooden poles became climbing frames, windows were put in on the loos, clothes & skin got spattered with paint & we soon mastered the flick of the wrist – a sophisticated art for plastering. The builders of course were a central part in this process to ensure the project would remain long lasting and secure.

Our evenings were a much-needed rest as we scrambled for our sun-heated bucket showers. Whilst some were spent with the children, we also squeezed in some group games before supper, such as the adrenaline-fuelled ‘satsuma game’ & a few hilarious rounds of ‘Empires’ or poker to keep morale high after long sweaty days. However the game ‘Assassin’ which continued throughout the final 4 days, kind of like a real life Cluedo, was hugely entertaining.

On some days we also got to help out at the nursery’s feeding centre for 80 hungry young mouths and experimented with the roles of teachers as we attempted to teach them the names of colours, with limited success but a lot of fun. Spending time in the kitchen learning how to cook the traditional meal of rice, beans and cabbage with our wonderful head cook, Fanny, was great and also gave rise to some interesting conversation about women’s role in society or teaching us some words in Chichewa.

Another highlight of the trip was our ‘rest day’. We were warmly welcomed in the Sunday church service where we were invited to sing our chosen song, Jerusalem – conducted energetically by Kitty. We then spent all our money at a market which arrived literally at our doorstep despite thinking we had done some successful haggling…

On Friday, we bought chickens for 3000 Kwacha each (around £3) to eat, for which Max enthusiastically took part in their butchery and where the expression, ‘running around like a headless chicken’ became all too real.

The safari on the last two days was a complete treat and the highlight was the dazzlingly beautiful sunset on the river listening to the brays of the hippos. Back at our campsite the faint smell of animals and heat wafted around – hardly surprising seeing as we shared it with the elephants who came trampling at 2am. Despite the disturbance we slept well and finally managed to get up close to the elephants on our boat safari as they drank & bathed in the river. Crocodiles lay like statues further on and pods of hippos lazed in the sun.

Overall, it was an even more rewarding experience than I could ever have imagined. We had signed up to build some crucial structures for the children of Masu village and the Joshua schools and we left with a whole new sense of the world. Being around such a friendly and welcoming community, all pushing for development and equality in girls’ education (slogans were written on the walls) I was not only hugely admiring of their hard work and friendliness, despite such poverty but also it gave me a strong sense of desire to return & work with them again. However, we could not have done it without the teachers Mr Coram-Wright, Miss Bellamy or Lisa, nor our wonderfully inspirational leaders Ali and Carlyn, and the Joshua leaders Stevie and Hilda who were so helpful in translating conversations. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of doing it, Malawi really was a memorable experience.

The post Malawi 2019 appeared first on St Edward’s School.

The release of today’s A Level results completes a record-breaking year for St Edward’s Sixth Formers with 51% of all grades awarded at A*/A in the A Level or Levels 6/7 in the IB Diploma, and 84% at A*-B or Levels 5-7, which is the highest result in the school’s history.

Among the A Level results there were a string of outstanding achievements to complement the strong return among IB Diploma results in early July. Benefiting from the merits of both systems has afforded pupils the best opportunities to reach their academic potential and access a wider range of universities and courses. The strength of this year’s results on both courses is testament to this, with over 85% of pupils already having a confirmed offer shortly after the results were released.

Particular congratulations among the A Level candidates are due to Koji Skukawa, who received 4A*, and Sophia Majzub, A*AA; these two join Ilana Cope and Sybilla Hamilton in taking up their places at Oxford and Cambridge. Koji will study Natural Sciences at Cambridge and Sophia will take her place at Oxford to study Classics with Oriental Studies. There are many other pupils who have received equally impressive results and will be going on to prestigious universities in the UK and overseas, with more than a third going to Top 10 UK universities (as defined by the World University Rankings).

Sanders Lau achieved 3A* and an A and will now study Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College; Vania Lay will also be going to Imperial where she will study Physics after achieving 1A* and 3A.

James Churchman, Annabel MacDonald-Smith, and Andy Yang all achieved 1A* and 2A, with Deemo Xin 1A*, 2A and 1B. James will be attending Leeds University to study Theoretical Physics; Annabel is one of several pupils heading to Durham University this year where she will study Psychology; Andy is on his way to Manchester University to pursue a degree in Maths and Deemo will study Mechanical Engineering at UCL.

Dmitry Bobolev, Katinka Hughes and Sam Naughton all received 3A. Dmitry will study Computer Science at KCL; Katinka Applied Sport Science at Edinburgh University and Sam is going to Leeds University to study Sociology and International Relations.

The Warden, Stephen Jones, said, ‘This completes another tremendous year for our pupils, with exam results for both the A Level results today and those of the IB Diploma in July demonstrating an excellent commitment from the pupils and their teachers. To have returned combined grades at A*-B and Levels 7-5 of 84% – our strongest result to date – is an achievement of which all involved can be rightly proud.’

Please note that the above is based on the latest information available – re-marks may be applied and university choices are subject to change. Please let the Communications team know of any updates at vanderheident@stedwardsoxford.org.

The post A Level Results 2019 appeared first on St Edward’s School.

Congratulations to all of our Fifth Form who have received their GCSE results today. Overall, more than one third of grades were awarded at the top level scores of 9/8 or A* this year.

Among some excellent results, several of our pupils have particularly stood out, having receiving eight or more grades at the maximum level of 9. Especially well done to Kunal Barman (pictured above), who managed a tremendously impressive 11 grade 9 results, a clean sweep.

Congratulations too to Tiggy Jones, who scored nine grade 9; and to Abi Drennan, Grace Flynn, Jack Gore, Pim Kanthamanon, Eliza McCrum and Julie Wang, who all received eight grade 9 results.

The Warden, Stephen Jones, said: ‘My congratulations to our Fifth Form on a good crop of results today in their GCSEs. They are a year group who contribute widely to the life of the school, on the sports fields, in societies, in performances and, of course, in the classroom. The strength of these results reflects their attitude and dedication across a number of walks of life.’

The post GCSE Results 2019 appeared first on St Edward’s School.

Last week the School returned to a new term and a new academic year, though you would be hard-pressed to know it, such has the pace and breadth of activity been in the few days since it began.

The newly expanded Cooper Lodge community returned to a revamped and very ‘on brand’ communal House area after the summer; the House now has three year groups and will be up to numbers as the boarding House opens fully next year.

Alongside the new starters in Cooper Lodge were the scores of other new starters joining St Edward’s for the first time who have found their feet in next to no time.

They were no doubt helped along by the wide array of induction activities and events, the trips to Youlbury Activity Centre, the Tedstock Disco, the Lower Sixth Dinner, and finding out about the multitude of clubs and societies they can join this year at the Sixth Form Clubs and Societies Fair on Friday evening. 

There was even time to squeeze in the school play auditions, sports practices and the first round of matches, house activities and a few days of lessons too! 

Whether you’re joining St Edward’s this year or returning to us, one thing is for sure: it’s been one heck of a first week, and there’s plenty more to follow.

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