St. Edward's School, Cheltenham

Infobox UK school
name = St. Edward's School


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motto = "Strive for the best" or "Quantum Potes Aude"
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established = 1987
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type = independent secondary
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r_head_label = Principal
r_head =Max France
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city = Cheltenham
county = Gloucestershire
country = ENG
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enrollment = 500
gender = Co-educational
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
houses = Dunstan, Chad and Bede
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website = http://stedwards.co.uk
website_name = www.stedwards.co.uk

St. Edward's School is an independent co-educational Catholic school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England welcoming pupils of all denominations from 11 to 18 years old.

The majority of pupils come to St Edward's from St Edward's Junior School, although a significant number come from schools across the county each year.

As a day school St Edward's occupies a 'niche' market in the predominantly boarding school environment in Cheltenham.

The school prides itself on being open, friendly and family orientated. The current headmaster is Mr Max France. He has introduced a number of innovations but has also strengthened some of the more traditional aspects of the school. St Edward's School has been recently inspected and was described as 'A good school with a significant number of outstanding aspects that is also very effectively led'.

Independent education in Cheltenham is quite congested with an abnormally rich provision of choice for parents. St Edward's School has fought for its place and now boasts a school roll of almost 500 pupils. The school motto is 'Quantum Potes Aude' which means 'Strive for the Best'.

History

The school site, Charlton Park, was a hunting lodge belonging to Edward the Confessor (1003-1066), the only English monarch who is also a canonized Saint. The manor of Cheltenham which included Charlton was royal property - hence the local area's name, Charlton Kings - and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Later the property was owned by a succession of families, and the original medieval manor house, known as Forden House, was rebuilt several times. It now is substantially as it was in the 18th century, though incorporating 16th century beams and brickwork.

In 1935 the property was acquired by a religious Order, the sisters of La Sainte Union, originally from France, who established a convent in the house and added new buildings for classrooms. Charlton Park School was opened as a Roman Catholic school for girls in 1939. An area on the edge of the site was given for the building of a new Catholic parish church, Sacred Hearts, in 1957.

The need for a similar Catholic school for boys in the Cheltenham area was met in 1958 when the Carmelite order of priests and brothers acquired another historic site, Ashley House, less than a mile a way on the London road. Here they opened Whitefriars School. The two schools had many natural links, with families educating their sons and daughters at them. For some years Catholic children who passed their 11+ were awarded places at the schools by the local education authority. Both schools attracted many pupils of other denominations, while retaining their Catholic ethos. New buildings were added on both sites as the schools grew.

The Whitefriars School purple blazer was very noticeable among the Cheltenham schools. One benefit of the Sixth Form being the change to black blazers. Charlton Park School, also known as The Convent, remained a single sex day school but in the Sixth Form the boys and girls classes were merged. The teachers' explanation being that it provided greater curriculum and timetabling options. The students naturally saw other benefits.

By the 1980s, the numbers of L.S.U. sisters and Carmelite friars had dropped, and both Orders were moving out of education. The parents at Charlton Park and Whitefriars were very keen, however, that the Christian education provided in the schools should continue. A new lay-run trust was set up, and St.Edward's School was created as a fully independent school. The main school (Years 7 - 13) took over the Charlton Park site, while the Whitefriars site became St Edward's Junior School (Years K - 6).

Development

St. Edward's has flourished. The building programme has continued: a recent addition being a brand new physics laboratory, converted from two little-used classrooms. Summer 2007 saw the A-Level laboratories modernized - these were opened in September 2007. This completes St. Edward's science renovation programme. Also beginning summer 2007, a brand new building which includes a new drama studio and refectory, as well as a new base for Geography. This is planned for opening in September 2008. The project is the biggest the school has ever undertaken.

External links

* [http://www.stedwards.co.uk