St Edward’s School, Oxford
About St Edward’s School
St Edward’s School (Teddies) is a co-educational, independent day and boarding school in Oxford.
Founded in 1863, the school has a proud and distinguished history as one of the major Victorian public schools of the 19th century at the heart of an academically and culturally stimulating city. Its long tradition and broad perspective keep the pupils inspired, motivated, and happy whilst keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
Underlying everything at ‘Teddies’ is a mission to prepare pupils for the rest of their lives by encouraging their passions and talents, enabling them to discover new ones and supporting them to achieve their own potential. The community fizzes with diverse interests and enthusiasms.
Being co-ed is an important element of the school. Not only does it represent life beyond the school gates, but it contributes to the inclusive and friendly community that brings our pupils, parents, Governors, staff, and the local community together.
Boarding
At around 700 pupils, St Edward’s is a community large enough to offer endless opportunities but small enough to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard. The school has a girl/boy split of 40%/60%, and approximately 85% of pupils are boarders spread across 13 houses.
Recently the school opened a brand new co-ed house and welcomed the first cohort of girls in the Sixth Form to another that was previously boys only. About 15% of pupils are from overseas.
Academics
Academic excellence means pupils gain top grades in their Sixth Form exams and take up places at the world’s best universities. In 2020, just under 88% of all grades achieved in Sixth Form exams were A*-B at A-Level, while 86% of scores in the IB Diploma were at Levels 7-5. Notably, Teddies is one of a few schools to offer both IB and A-Level alongside each other at Sixth Form.
In the Middle School Program, the school has introduced new courses to stretch pupils at GCSE level, responding directly to the latest research into how young people learn. At GCSE, 61% of grades were 9-7. The school offers a wide range of scholarships and bursaries.
Facilities
The school occupies a spacious 100-acre site in the north of Oxford, with extensive sports grounds and facilities.
In 2020 we opened the dynamic new Christie Centre offering pupils world-class academic facilities with flexible learning spaces and classrooms, a brand new library and a collegiate style top-floor reading room designed specifically for how pupils learn today.
This development includes the 1,000-seater Olivier Hall, where the whole school can come together for concerts and other events. And these new spaces add to the already outstanding facilities at Teddies, including the Ogston Music School opened in 2017 and The North Wall, a professional, nationally-renowned theatre and arts centre within the school.
Open days
Open Mornings take place on most Saturdays in term time. In usual times, the main school Open Day takes place in May, with the Sixth Form Open Day in September.
