St Edward's School, Oxford

The Warden Alastair Chirnside says: "There has never been a more exciting time to join St Edward's. There is the strength of the community, grounded in a spirt of inclusion and built on an ethos of collaboration. There is the range of opportunity, from the choices in the Sixth Form to the depth of the co-curriculum. There is a vision for modern boarding which both mirrors life at home and allows time for pupils to be at home. There is momentum in examination results, in ideas and in admissions."

Attain asked the school, what makes St Edward's School different – and why should parents consider it?

Underlying everything at St Edward's is the school's mission to prepare their pupils for the rest of their lives by encouraging their passions and talents, enabling them to discover new ones and supporting them to achieve their own potential.

St Edward's is fully co-educational and offers both IB and A Level at Sixth Form. The Middle School programme has been enriched with new optional courses, designed to stretch candidates at GCSE level. The original Victorian quad has recently been added to with the Christie Centre, a suite of modern and flexible classroom and study spaces topped with the collegiate-style Roe Reading Room, and the 1,000 seater Olivier Hall.

Immaculately-tended sports fields are host to an exciting fixtures list – Upper 1, used for cricket, football and rugby, is flanked by a John Pawson-designed pavilion and the school Boathouse sits on the bank of the Thames with views towards Oxford's dreaming spires.

One of the few boarding schools in the UK to be lucky enough to be part of a vibrant university city, the school makes the most of its location – pupils have access to lectures from world-class academics and opportunities to explore the city's colleges, museums and theatres.