Ethos

St Edward’s is a joint-church school, one of only a handful of such schools in the country.

 As an ecumenical school we respond to Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, “Father, may they be one, as you and I are one” (John 16:21), and as a community of Christians we work together every day to serve young people and one another. Our ethos is characterised by love and care, together with a passionate belief that every child is capable of excellence, and that our role as educators is to enable each student to discern and respond to their unique vocation. Our horizon for students goes beyond exams and the workplace, and in addition to helping them to secure outstanding results, we seek to form them as well-rounded spiritually mature, and hardworking individuals.

We are proud to be a comprehensive school – a place of learning where everyone, regardless of their ability, is stretched and inspired to realise their potential. Many of our students go on to attain places at some of the best universities in the world, others go straight into the world of work, or take their learning in a different direction. We are proud of them all. We are renowned for the close, caring relationships between staff and students, and we believe that it is in a school where everyone feels valued, that high aspirations have the best hope of being turned into reality.

Gospel values permeate our work with students. Beyond the formal curriculum we offer a wide-range of learning experiences to develop and enrich each child. Spiritual, social, moral and cultural (SMSC) developments are woven through school life, via taught lessons, acts of worship, educational visits, and in the myriad of daily interactions that form the hustle and bustle of happy, successful secondary school life.

The School is affiliated to the De la Salle network of schools. St John Baptiste de la Salle was a massive influence on the education movement in the 17th and 18th century, fighting for the rights of poor children to be educated. He founded a religious community dedicated to securing the very best education for young people.

All of our students have the opportunity to go on retreat at Kintbury, a beautiful country estate in Oxfordshire. There they spend time under the guidance of the Youth Team, having fun, reflecting on their lives, and exploring their God-given vocation. Our La Sallian link enables us to be focussed on providing a holistic formation for our students; attending to their academic and spiritual development. It also helps us to grow in understanding and appreciation of childhood – that precious time in our lives, which is so often threatened by pressures to grow up quickly.

We as a school are proud to be part of this international community.