At St Edward’s we are proud to educate students of all abilities, and we believe in the many advantages of comprehensive education.
Many parents send their gifted child to St Edward’s because they are seeking to combine high-quality education set within a caring, Christian ethos which provides a holistic education for their child. Many of our students have gone on to study in some of the best universities in the world, and we provide first-class guidance for UCAS applications, and support for BMAT and LSAT admissions tests.
We use a variety of performance indicators to identify the most able, such as prior performance in learning, and/or a high level of skill in a particular area. Provision for the most able is made first and foremost within the normal curriculum where teachers create engaging and challenging lessons, which aim to raise aspirations of all students. Individualised targets set for academic performance are usually aiming for more-able students to perform as well as the top 5-10% of students in the country. We also offer leadership development opportunities, where students can take on responsibilities within school. There is a wide range of extracurricular visits, events and clubs that broaden and develop character including a dedicated EDGE programme for ambitious, curious and independently motivated students.
EDGE Programme
EDGE provides a range of events and experiences intended to expand curious minds beyond the national curriculum, and will enable our ambitious students to develop an insight and interest in a breadth of different topics. Our staff deliver ‘EDGE Events’; and these will take the form of a short talk hosted in school on a topic that will engage students and enable them to grow their breadth of knowledge. The programme provides opportunities for students to develop; academic breadth and depth, skills such as public speaking, character, networking and careers through dedicated guidance.
Students are invited to join the programme but may be nominated by students, parents and staff to be included. Students will be expected to take responsibility for signing up to these enriching presentations.
We have been delighted in recent years by the fantastic destinations that our school leavers have moved on to after being successful students with us. Reaching the required grades to progress to aspirational careers is only a part of the requirement for students to secure these opportunities; they also require a well-rounded knowledge that stretches beyond the conventional curriculum that is taught in schools across the country. The EDGE programme will encourage our students to be curious learners and to seek out opportunities to broaden their experiences and interests independently.