St Edward's School, Oxford

St Edward's School, Oxford

The school was founded in 1863 by Thomas Chamberlain, student of Christ Church, Oxford and vicar of St Thomas the Martyr's Church, Oxford. The original school building was Mackworth Hall, which then stood on New Inn Hall Street in central Oxford.

In 1873, after a storm damaged the school buildings and in anticipation of growing numbers, A. B. Simeon, the first Warden, moved the school to Summertown. At the time, the site was on the boundary of Oxford and surrounded by farmland, and Simeon bought a large plot for the school. The school remains on the 100-acre (0.40 km²) site today, with the Quadrangle and playing fields on opposite sides of Woodstock Road.

Simeon created an independent school with monastic-style buildings around a quadrangle.[3] The original buildings were designed by William Wilkinson. The north range was built in 1873 and 1886, the gatehouse in 1879, and the east range, including Big School and the library, in 1881. Wilkinson's most significant building at St Edward's is the chapel, built in 1876.[4]

Henry Ewing Kendall was warden from 1925 to 1954.[5]

In the Second World War, air raid shelters were dug into the grass of the Quad. The school was presented with a stained glass window by the RAF at the end of the war in recognition of "the superb contribution to the war effort made by former pupils of the School". These included, among many others, Guy Gibson of 617 Squadron, who led 'The Dambusters', flying ace Douglas Bader, and Adrian Warburton, famous for his role in the defence of Malta.[6] Pacifist inclinations during the 1970s and 1980s caused the window to be relocated, before it was put back on display in the Old Library. The window has since been moved again and can now be seen on display in the warden's dining room. The school also has a scholarship fund to assist pupils whose parents are in the armed forces.

In 1982, the sixth form became co-educational. The whole school became fully co-educational in 1997.

Recent history

The school opened a new music centre in January 2017, the Ogston Music School. It expands the musical repertoire of the school, with 20 practice rooms, seven ensemble rooms, the large Weston Recital Room, a rock room, the Fenton Recording Studio, and the Ferguson Sixth Form Music Library.

In 2016, the school announced a new building project to complete the school's main Quad. The new development, designed by architect Nick Hardy (TSH Architects) and completed in 2020, includes a purpose-built Library, a university-style academic centre, and a new hall, with a capacity for 1,000 people.

July 2007 marked the official opening of The North Wall Arts Centre. The centre was built on the site of the old school swimming pool, which was the oldest swimming pool in the country.[7] The North Wall Arts Centre is run by Ria Parry and is a producing theatre.[8]

The North Wall Arts Centre won several major architectural awards for its design,[8] including a RIBA award.[9]

The Martyrs Pavilion, designed by architect John Pawson, was opened in 2009 and won the 2010 Oxford Preservation Trust award in the New Buildings category.[10]

There are 13 boarding houses lived in by approximately 60–70 boys or girls. Each house is run by housemaster or housemistress who is a member of the teaching staff at the school and lives in accommodation within the house with their family. Each house also has a set of house tutors who supervise prep (homework) during the week and also tutor members of the house. Each house also has a matron who looks after pupils' medical (and often social) needs.

The school has around 120 day pupils, a small proportion of the total.

The sports on offer for girls include rowing, cricket, hockey, football, netball and tennis, while the main sports offered for the boys include rowing, rugby, hockey, cricket, football and tennis. The School has over 90 acres (360,000 m²) of playing fields in North Oxford.

One of the School's IVs warming up at the 2006 National Schools Regatta

In rowing the St Edward's School Boat Club has won The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta on five occasions, more than any other British school except Eton College and St Paul's School, London.[11] In 1984 the 1st VIII became the first ever crew to achieve the 'Triple', winning all three School events that year: The School's Head of the River; The Queen Mother Cup at the National Schools Regatta and The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. In 2013 the boys 1st VIII boat rowed in the fastest Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup final ever seen at Henley, chasing the holders Abingdon School down to within half a length. Both crews beat the existing course record, having dispatched other leading international schools on the way to the final. In 2014, the boys 1st VIII were again the losing finalists. Having won Henley events eight times, (including three years as winners of the now discontinued Special Race for Schools) and been the losing finalist seven times,[12] St Edward's School is the one of the most successful boys' rowing schools. In 2023, St Edward's School became the first co-educational school to win Gold in Championship events for both boys and girls crews in the same National School's Regatta, winning the Jim Mason Plate for Girls Coxed Fours[13] (for the second time) and the Queen Mother Challenge Cup for Boys Eights[14] (for the fourth time). The School went on to win the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, for the fifth occasion. The school regularly provides rowers for Great Britain junior crews before going on to compete in the annual Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race or at Ivy League Universities.

St Edward's has seen several successful spells in hockey, which have included making the National Finals for both boys' and girls' hockey. The girls' hockey has been particularly strong and teams are frequently County Champions. In 2013/14 the school had both boys and girls in Regional, National and Great Britain squads. In 2010 the boys' hockey 1st XI won the inaugural Charlie Barker Trophy, a competition between local rival schools including Radley College, Eton College, Marlborough College, Abingdon School and Cheltenham College and finished the season unbeaten. Most recently, in 2018 the girls' U16 and U14 sides won their County tournaments with the 1st XI also progressing to the Regional tournament.

The 1st XV enjoyed a successful season in 2017, winning 10 matches and losing two, finishing 13th in The Daily Mail Trophy. 2017 was a good year for St Edward's further down the age-groups too, with the Junior Colts A (U15) and Junior Colts B XVs both recording seasons of 10 wins from 11 matches. In 2018, the 1st XV were crowned County Champions for Oxfordshire after beating Cokethorpe School in the final. There are some six former or present pupils in their respective age group's England development squads/teams including James Forrester.

The 2013 cricket season was one of the most successful in the School's history for the 1st XI. It included victories over Radley College, Harrow, Uppingham School and Cheltenham College. In 2017, the 1st XI began the season with a historic win over Oxford MCCU in University Parks, going on to achieve 18 victories in the season - the second highest ever - the team was also crowned South Central T20 Champions. Former pupil AJ Woodland was announced as the Wisden School's Cricketer of the Year for 2016 and other accolades for current pupils included selection for England U17s, an England U19s Invitational XI, and a variety of representational and county sides.

The school has many inter-house sporting events including the Steeplechase, and inter-house rowing, rugby, hockey, netball, squash, swimming and football, among others. The Steeplechase is the school's annual cross country race and is held once a year with the seniors running a 4-mile (6.4 km) race across Port Meadow the floodplain of the River Thames.

Former pupils of St Edward's are known as Old St Edward's, abbreviated to OSE.

Notable OSE include:

• Admiral Sir Peter Abbott, former Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
• Sir Douglas Bader VC, WWII pilot
• Arthur Banks, WWII pilot awarded GC[15]
• Antony Barrington Brown, photographer and explorer
• Geoffrey Wallis Steuart Barrow, British historian and academic
• Sir Russell Bencraft, cricketer
• Pippa Bennett-Warner, actress
• John Berger, art critic, novelist, painter, and author
• Neil Biswas, screenwriter, playwright and film and television director
• Richard Brooke, cricketer
• Nicholas Budgen, Conservative MP
• Admiral Sir Harold Burrough, Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in WWII
• Sir Geoffrey Callender, naval historian
• Richard Carline, artist
• Peter Carter-Ruck, lawyer
• David Frederick Case, audiobook narrator[16]
• Emilia Clarke, Four-time Emmy nominated actress
• Brian Cleeve, author and broadcaster
• Joshua Compston, gallerist
• Rear Admiral Anthony Cooke (Royal Navy officer), President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
• John Davies, businessman and cabinet minister
• Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, founder of de Havilland Aircraft Company.[15]
• Richard Dinan, businessperson[17]
• George Fenton, Oscar nominated film composer[15]
• Gabriel Fielding ("Alan Barnsley") author, W.H. Smith Literary Award Outstanding Contribution to English Literature 1963
• Anthony FitzClarence, 7th Earl of Munster
• James Forrester, England rugby union international[18]
• Paul Gibb, England Test cricketer
• Guy Gibson VC, Dambusters hero,[15]
• Robert Gittings, poet and biographer
• Jon Goodridge, rugby player
• John Galbraith Graham, crossword compiler (Araucaria)
• Kenneth Grahame, author[15]
• Ernest George Henham, author
• Mark Herdman, diplomat, Governor of the British Virgin Islands (1986–1991)[19]
• Sir Tom Hopkinson, journalist
• Noel Baring Hudson, Anglican Bishop
• Hugh Ingledew, Welsh rugby union international
• Stewart Innes, British Rower
• Poppy Jamie, TV Presenter
• Sir David Lewis, Lord Mayor of the City of London
• James Lockyer, Canadian lawyer and social activist
• Andrew MacLachlan, Scottish actor and cricketer
• Rob Marris, Labour MP
• Arthur Miller, cricketer
• Norman Miscampbell, Conservative MP
• Georgia Tennant, actress
• Sir John Moreton, diplomat
• Simon Nicholls, BBC comedy producer
• Sir Laurence Olivier, actor, director and producer[15]
• Sir Derek Oulton
• Hugh Padgham, record producer[20]
• Florence Pugh, Oscar nominated actress
• Sir Nicholas Pumfrey, judge
• Ernest Read, cricketer
• Georgina Rylance, actress
• Michael Sandberg, former CEO of HSBC Group
• John Sandoe bookseller[21]
• John Silver, early member of rock band Genesis
• Jon Snow, Channel 4 newscaster[15]
• Harmeet Singh Sooden, political activist
• Gordon Strachan, unorthodox minister
• Louis Strange, WW1 pilot[15][22]
• Sir David Thorne
• Sir Brian Tovey, former director of GCHQ
• Sir Stephen Tumin, judge[15]
• Sam Waley-Cohen, Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey[15]
• William Wallace, Baron Wallace of Saltaire
• Adrian Warburton DFC, World War II British pilot[15]
• Sir Barry Wilson
• Sir Francis James Wylie, first warden of Rhodes House
• Teddy Wynyard, cricketer and footballer
• Kelvin Ho-Por Lam, Hong Kong district councillor,[23] political activist, former HSBC economist[24]
• All members of the band Glass Animals (Dave Bayley, Joe Seaward, Ed Irwin-Singer and Drew MacFarlane)

The school maintains links with institutions around the world. Pictured above is The Doon School, India.

The school has built up links with a number of schools around the world, which include:

Mayo College, India.

An exchange programme was set up in 1997 which saw a lower sixth boy study at Mayo and a lower sixth boy from Mayo study at Teddies.

The Gilman School Baltimore, USA.

Gilman and St. Edward's operate a scholarship known as the Hardie Scholarship. One Lower Sixth boy from St. Edward's studies at Gilman during March/April and a Junior from Gilman studies at St. Edward's during June.

Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, USA.

In 2004 St. Edward's established an exchange programme with Roland Park. The programme runs at the same time as the Harry Hardie Scholarship, with one lower sixth girl from St. Edward's studying at Roland Park and a Junior girl from Roland Park studying at St. Edward's.

The Doon School, India.

An exchange programme was set up in 2002 which saw a lower sixth boy study at Doon School and a lower sixth boy from Doon study at Teddies.

The King's School, Parramatta

King's traditionally play Teddies once every two years during their UK Rugby tour. Teddies played King's in Sydney for the first time in 2003.

The school received a grant of arms in December 2017.[26]

Coat of arms of St Edward's School, Oxford

Crest Upon a Helm with a Wreath Argent and Azure Issuant from a Cup Or a Dagger erect point downwards Argent hilt and pommel Or. Escutcheon Azure a Cross flory between four Ancient Crowns impaling Per fess Sable and Or a Pale counterchanged in the Or an Ermine Spot Sable and in the Sable a Trefoil slipped Or the whole within a Bordure also Or. Motto Pietas Parentum Badge Issuant from a Cup Or a Dagger erect downwards Argent hilt and pommel Or.

• St Edward's School website
• Profile at the Good Schools Guide
• Profile at the Independent Schools Council website

51°46′36.55″N 01°16′07.27″W