Day pupil experience - st Edward’s (Teddies) oxford

[RedPanda2022]

I have backsearched old threads but can’t find anything newer than 2014 on this…

DS has an offer for Teddies as a day pupil. We have other offers but are keen on Teddies but worried about a few issues with being a day pupil in the minority compared to boarders (apparently 16% day vs 84% boarders currently though it is skewed in terms of age groups as there are slightly more day in hrs 9-11, almost none in sixth form)

wondered if anyone has/has had/knows any experience of

• if the long days plus getting to/from school daily are doable and realistic (We live in Oxford but not in the north of the city).
• if day pupils are as well integrated into their houses/school life as Teddies claim
• anything else relevant to being a day pupil that might be helpful

Not an option for ds to board currently, we would be fine with that but they have only offered a day place. He potentially could later if he wanted to and they have a space.

Thanks

Bump for myself

I don't know anything about that particular school but I was a day girl in a boarding school with approximately those ratios. I wouldn't particularly recommend it. (Although this was a long time ago.) As a day girl, it was very difficult to establish the same kind of relationship with peers that the boarders had with each other because they spent much time together. I always felt very much an outsider. The day pupils tended to stick together but because there weren't that many of us and the school was in a rural location, we tended to live far apart. So it was all a bit rubbish socially.

I assume you've made your choice already and I hope your DS is happy. From my own experience St Edwards School Oxford has positioned themselves as a multi million business rather than an institution set up to nurture the well being of its pupils. More speeches over the last 18 months have been made about how the school plans to make money rather than how it plans to help pupils prepare for future careers. The ratio of support/teaching staff has ballooned in recent years, perhaps cut these superfluous roles and recruit more experienced teachers? The commercialisation of the school is evident even to the pupils. Just last week my child was awarded a prize/commendation and then told the cost of the pendant would be added to the bill. My child found this situation very awkward.

Our child was at Teddies since 13 and loved it, was the best school choice for them. They made great friends, enjoyed school life and thrived. The also benefited from fantastic school facilities. Day pupils are very well integrated in to the school and not treated in any way different to boarders. Have to say the school ethos has changed since the new Warden/Headmaster arrived. It was a school that took a broad spectrum of pupils academically, clearly the Warden is trying to up the academic results and I heard recently complained to the U6 that they were not working hard enough as no one had an Oxbridge offer! (But he and teachers were doing their best so pupils should work harder!) I doubt our child would have got in today with the massive waiting list and academic focus. Parents are going on school tours with 5 yr olds!! It used to be that if you had one or two children at the school your next child would be practically guaranteed a place, no more the Warden changed that. That didnt go down well with parents.
As for bursaries you would think they were for UK pupils that deserved entry but couldn’t afford it. You see pupils on bursaries then the parents/grandparents turn up in a Rolls Royce. Because the school won a rowing event at Henley the Warden went into raptures, now bursaries are going to pupils that are coming to the school with rowing skills! Overall a great school, good teachers but many new ones with little experience. Too many administrative staff at expense of good teachers. As somebody else said seems to be about the money today but what do expect from a private school. The warden will be beside himself if one of Kate & William’s children go there as is the latest rumour?

I have heard several very negative stories coming from Teddies recently. Marketing can be extremely misleading in this case.