Matthew Lenarduzzi, a teacher who has taught at the school for 17 years, previously acting as Head of Languages for the last 12 years, has now taken on the new role of Head of Sixth Form, leading the ongoing development of this key part of the school’s provision.
The Sixth Form at St Edward’s currently has 175 students across years 12 and 13 with the vast majority of pupils progressing up through the school’s secondary offering and increasing numbers joining at sixth form from other local schools. Students can now choose from 26 A-level courses, with recent new additions including engineering, sociology and human biology, and plans to further expand the range of courses on offer.
Mr Lenarduzzi said:
“St Edward’s is an incredible school, and the sixth form represents the pinnacle of what we offer, so it is a huge privilege to take on this role. I am excited to help develop the school’s vision to take our sixth form provision to the next level as we set a course for our future as a school
“Our curriculum is always under review, and we will continue to expand and improve what is on offer, listening to our students, and prospective students, about the courses that they need for their futures.
“Ultimately we want to ensure students leave us not only with the qualifications they need, but also as well-rounded, engaging, articulate young people who can go on to lead happy, fulfilling lives – that is the clearest marker of our success.”
Sixth Form students are now benefitting from improvement works which took place over the summer, including the refurbishment of the sixth form area, creating a university-style study room equipped with three glassed-walled conference rooms for collaborative work, and workstations for the PCs and laptops computers available to sixth form students. The revamped common room now has café style seating, sofas and breakfast bar areas equipped with USB charging points.
Executive Headteacher at St Edward’s School, Mr Michael Antram, said:
“This is an incredibly exciting time here at St Edward’s – for our sixth form in particular, as we look to the future, always seeking to improve school life for our students and staff.
“I am thrilled to have Matt at the helm. He has been a highly valued member of the team for almost two decades and he will be a fantastic Head of Sixth Form, taking this key part of our school forward for the benefit of our most senior students and our whole school community.”
Zac, a student in Year 12, said:
“I chose St Edward’s because it has a great and diverse subject offering and because the school’s ethos puts the student first. The relationships with teachers are really strong. You get to know your teachers well and they are really supportive - they really want to help you. And the new facilities are beautifully designed for working and socialising.”
St Edward’s School is holding a Sixth Form Open Day on November 7th.