Sixth Form Life at Teddies

Teddies is all about opportunities and helping you to fulfil your potential, writes our Head Girl, Prisca Olagunju.

‘With over 350 pupils in our Sixth Form, the choice between International Baccalaureate and A Level, additional teaching from Oxford PhD students, state-of-the-art study spaces, an incredible array of extra-curricular opportunity, single-sex and co-ed boarding and the city of Oxford and its university on the doorstep, the chances of making life-long friends and getting the most out of your Sixth Form years are 100% at Teddies.

But don’t just take my word for it.  I spoke to a few Sixth Formers about what they like most about Sixth Form at Teddies.

“You just do more at Teddies”

There’s a culture of participation at Teddies and so much choice – as one new Sixth Former said, “you just do more at Teddies” and getting involved in sports, the arts and clubs creates bonds across the School. You can even set up a new society or run with an idea if you think there is a gap. Upper Sixth pupil Beau Blakesley-Grimes came up with the idea of a whole school talent show.  Reflecting on it, Beau said –  

“I love entertainment and saw the opportunity to create a Talent Show at Teddies.  The teachers were really supportive of the idea but let me keep responsibility for it – from the initial auditions to selecting the judges and to hosting the night.  Almost the whole School turned out to cheer on their friends and watch the show – the acts and the atmosphere were amazing. I gained so much in the way of experience and confidence and hope I’ve started a new tradition!”

At the end of the Summer Term we celebrate everyone’s achievements in and outside the classroom with Gaudy Week – to get an idea of some of the opportunities, watch last year’s short film.

Preparation for university and life: what is it like to arrive in the Sixth Form?

Pupils join Teddies at Sixth Form for lots of different reasons – because they want to board, join a co-ed community, expand their options in academic work (we have a really wide range of subjects and do IB as well as A Levels) or are tempted by all the extra-curricular opportunities. Elena Roberts talked to me about her experience of starting Teddies at Sixth Form in one of our co-ed boarding houses, Cooper Lodge.

 “I arrived at Teddies for Sixth Form, from a small, single-sex day school.  It was the polar opposite and a bit of a culture shock at first – I’d never seen school buildings like the ones here, the grounds felt enormous and there were so many new people to meet.  There were also so many opportunities – clubs, societies and sport – but also the opportunity for leadership. Sixth Formers are expected to help create the school ethos and set the right tone. I’ve really enjoyed helping other people to get as much out of Teddies as I do, especially the Shells (Year 9s) in my House, who I mentored in the Lower Sixth.

“I am in a co-ed boarding house – where there are shared common rooms and kitchens but there are separate dorm corridors for boys and girls. Boarding has taught me so much about how to live amicably with lots of people with different backgrounds and personalities. Teddies is a place to learn and also a place where it feels safe to make mistakes.”

You can get a feel for House life at Teddies here:

Amazing facilities – the Roe Reading Room

In our popular Upper Sixth café – Cooper’s, where we dine together and with our teachers – I asked one table what they liked most about Teddies.  With our end of school exams (IB for some and A Levels for others) and mocks just around the corner, perhaps it wasn’t surprising to hear The Roe Reading Room topping the list.

“The silent study space in the Christie Centre, the Roe Reading Room, is my favourite place.  It is light and airy and a great place to base myself for a day of study.  It’s really perfect for getting on with work that needs concentrated effort,” said A Level pupil Bella Robson, adding, “but if I need to work with others, for example right now I’m organising events for FemSoc for International Women’s Day, I go somewhere more chatty like Willows café on the ground floor of the Christie Centre.”

For more about the academic life at Teddies and a view into some of our amazing spaces, watch the video below:

Freedom of being in Oxford

Oxford is a beautiful and inspiring city  – a destination for travellers world-wide – only a few minutes from Teddies by bus. Everyone enjoys going there with friends at the weekends and for school trips into the University Colleges, galleries and museums. I spoke to Sixth Former Charlie Spencer, also our resident marathon champ, about what he likes about our location.

“I love the freedom of being able to go to local shops and cafés in the week and into Oxford centre at the weekends – there’s a great buzz in Oxford, it’s a bit like a mini London.  There’s a wide range of shops and places to eat and it’s a real break from the busyness of school life.

“I’m currently aiming to break the world record for marathon running by being the youngest person to run the six major marathons: London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Tokyo and Berlin. So I need to train a lot. Being at Teddies, I get a lot of support from the Harriers – our running club – and my Housemaster and  I also get the freedom to run for miles…and miles… along the river and canal in Oxford.”

We’re not all running but we all love Oxford and so do our teachers – hear what they say about it here: