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2 St Edward’s rhuba rb
Rewriting History
and on the widespread practices of fagging
and flogging. It is important to remember,
of course, that the culture of St Edward’s
- then and now - is a reflection of the
culture of similar schools - and of wider
society. So I would say that overall, I hope
to have given a balanced view of life at the
School over the years.
As you say, the culture of St Edward’s
reflects the culture of wider society
– can you give some examples of
how the book illustrates this point?
Many examples could be cited but
amongst other developments, the decline
of religious observance and the growth
of secularism in society at large have their
counterparts in schools. The rise of the
‘teenager’ or the ever-encroaching role of
the State would be two further examples.
Formality and deference are not what they
were, anywhere!
Which section was the most
difficult to write?
Undoubtedly the recent past. It is not yet
history, and of course I have participated in
some of this ‘contemporary history’ so it
is impossible to give a dispassionate view.
There are live issues, live matters of policy,
and we are not distant enough to make
commentary on them easy. I remember
arriving as a new member of staff in 1962
shortly after publication of the first history
of the school by RD Hill. I encountered
some grumbling in the Common Room
- the immediate past is simply too hot a
potato. And in fact, we anticipated this
difficulty. Readers will find that the last
10 years or so are covered very briefly.
I bequeath all the fascinating detail of this
period to the next official historian!
Which period of the School‘s
history do you find most interesting?
Without question the Victorian period
up to WWI. It was an eventful period
– the School was nearly forced to close
on a number of occasions. There were
moments in the 1880s and then again
in 1900 and 1905 when it seemed it
wouldn’t survive. It was not until the
Wardenship of John Millington Sing that
finances were stabilised. Along with Sing,
key figures in securing the School’s future
and steering it through these rocky times
were supporters Lord Beauchamp, Lord
Aldenham and Lord Halifax. They gave the
School influence, prestige and – sometimes
– money, the latter enabling the School
to ward off such threats as the Duke of
Marlborough’s desire to build on what is
now the vast sweep of playing fields.
What are your fondest memories
of St Edward’s?
I was among the last generation of
schoolmasters for whom a teaching post
was a way of life. Many teachers of that
era never moved on, or if they did so, they
moved just once or twice. St Edward’s
provided me not just with employment for
38 years, but a home, and it is this near-
perfect combination of life and work
I remember most fondly.
Malcolm Oxley, former Second Master
and author of A New History of St Edward’s
School, Oxford, 1863 – 2013, discussed his
new book and long relationship with the
School, with Marketing Manager Tracy Van
der Heiden.
How did you find yourself writing
the second history of St Edward’s?
I had thought about the notion of writing a
new history on a number of occasions, and
then about five years ago, I was approached
by a school Governor, Chris Jones, who
had had the same idea. I must confess
that I hesitated initially – in part because
I felt I was too old! - but also because,
having spent some time looking after the
school Archive, I knew it to be somewhat
disorganised: I anticipated a long period
of re-organisation before work could
even begin on a new history. I was happily
mistaken in that assumption. The current
School Archivist, Chris Nathan, has worked
tirelessly to bring order to the Archive and,
on discovering its glorious transformation
into a carefully-catalogued resource, I was
content to accept the commission.
Is the content of the book drawn
entirely from the Archive?
In large part, yes. I also carried out a few
interviews with former staff and current
pupils, and drew on written memories of
OSE, some of which were already in the
Archive, some of which were supplied in
response to my request for material for
the book. I was also given access to
Governors’ papers and to the necessary
administrative paperwork.
There are scores of OSE memories
in the book – do they give a sanitised
view or have you aimed for a realistic
approach?
I was conscious that, in general, school
histories paint a picture of unremitting
positivity and progress – ever onward
and upward. Everything is depicted as
wonderful. I wanted this new book about
St Edward’s to be more realistic than is the
norm. As a consequence, there are sections
which some might find controversial.
There are personal opinions on Wardens,
for instance, and there is a degree of
commentary on sexual activity in School,
f e a t u r e s