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ST EDWARD’S
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F E A T U R E S
Music at Teddies
By Henry Johnson (B, 2011-2016)
Having just completed my time at Teddies
one area of school life I’ll look back on
with serious nostalgia will be the music
department. I was by no account a great
musician but enjoyed the opportunity to
sing and play in the various ensembles
and choirs. What I admire most about
the department is their ability to maintain
the interests of the pupils, which means
that music at Teddies is an enjoyable
experience whilst still challenging pupils
with a varied repertoire. The uniqueness of
the department is very much thanks to the
characters in it. Mr Powell’s love of all things
brass means that there was never a dull
moment in his Band rehearsals. Mr Tester is
another whose enthusiasm and eccentricity
is the reason Wednesday night Chapel
Choir rehearsals never seemed to drag on.
The Department has also focused
heavily on providing for a wide range of
different musicians. Music at Teddies does
not just involve a narrow set of classical
works. The advent of Rocksoc and Battle
of the Bands means that a range of
musicians have the ability to excel with
an increased emphasis on contemporary
music. This will only be strengthened by
the new Music School where the Rock
Room, Recording Studio and 20 rehearsal
rooms will facilitate the improvement of all
areas of music at Teddies.
I do hope that the new building will
have a positive effect in encouraging
more pupils to get involved in this area
of school life and make the most of the
opportunities this amazing facility provides.
Music taught me so many valuable lessons
throughout my time at Teddies that I will
put to use in other areas. The core values
of self-discipline and teamwork are skills I
will take forward with me for the rest of
my life.
Bursaries
The School sets aside as much of its income
as possible for Bursaries, and this allows a
limited number of young people to come
to the School on scholarships with fee
subsidies. But it is the donations generously
given by OSE which actually enable us to
build up the Bursary Fund and to focus our
efforts on attracting those young people
most deserving of bursarial support. Our
aim is to increase considerably the number
of families receiving help with the fees.
One young person who has benefited
from the kind support of the OSE
community is Matthew Thornton, who
joined the Shells in 2013 on a 100% bursary.
Having achieved a full set of A*s in his
GCSEs, he is currently in the Lower Sixth.
‘I wanted to come to St Edward’s because
I knew I would achieve greater things than if
I stayed at my old school, and this is exactly
what has happened. The bursary has allowed
me to unlock my potential thanks to all
the opportunities that Teddies provides, as
well as the small class sizes and close-knit
community. I genuinely think that I wouldn’t
have become the person I am today without
the generous donations that enabled me to
come to St Edward’s.’
A further exciting new development
for St Edward’s is our partnership with
the Springboard Bursary Foundation.
Springboard transforms the lives of
disadvantaged young people by arranging full
bursaries at boarding schools, helping them
to raise their aspirations, reach their full
potential and lead confident, thoughtful and
satisfying lives. We were therefore delighted
when Springboard selected us as the right
school for a young person who would really
benefit from the unique environment of
a boarding school, thanks to our strong
pastoral provision.
A combination of donations and the
School’s commitment has funded a bursary
for 100% of the boarding fees for this pupil
who joined the Sixth Form in September. If
we can continue to grow our Bursary Fund,
we would hope to develop our partnership
with Springboard to welcome more pupils
in future years.
Generous donations from OSE have meant that every practice room in the Ogston Music School can be
equipped with an upright piano.
The Lower Sixth who achieved 9 or more A* grades
in their GCSEs last summer, with Matthew Thornton
in the front row, far left.