Oxford High School, England Explained

Oxford High School GDST
Motto:Latin

Ad Lucem
(Toward the light)

Established:1875
Type:Private day school
Head Label:Headmistress
Head:Marina Gardiner Legge
Chair Label:Chairman of governors
Chair:Katherine Haynes
City:Oxford
County:Oxfordshire
Country:England
Postcode:OX2 6XA
Local Authority:Oxfordshire
Urn:123310
Dfeno:931/6093
Staff:120
Enrolment:952
Gender:Girls
Lower Age:4
Upper Age:18
Website:http://www.oxfordhigh.gdst.net/

Oxford High School is a private day school for girls in Oxford, England. It was founded by the Girls' Day School Trust in 1875, making it the city's oldest girls' school.

History

Oxford High School was opened on 3 November 1875, with twenty-nine girls and three teachers under headmistress Ada Benson, at the Judge's Lodgings (St Giles' House) at 16 St Giles', central Oxford.[1] It was the 9th school opened by the Girls' Public Day School Company. Pupils were given a holiday when the Assize Judge visited. The school moved to 38 St Giles' in 1879 and then to 21 Banbury Road at the start of 1881, in a building designed by Sir Thomas Graham Jackson, just south of the location of another Jackson building, the Acland Nursing Home.[2] By this time, the headmistress was Matilda Ellen Bishop.

Rapid expansion led to the ultimate removal of the school to Belbroughton Road in 1957. It became a direct grant grammar school in 1945 under the Education Act 1944 and chose to become independent in 1976 after the scheme was abolished. The junior section was opened in 1989 and further expanded in the 1990s to meet the growing demand. It absorbed two preparatory schools, Greycotes and The Squirrel, which meant girls could now be educated at Oxford High School from age 3 to Sixth Form.[3]

Academics

Oxford High School regularly ranks as one of the country's highest achieving independent schools in terms of examination results.[4] [5] The school was ranked first in the South East in a Sunday Times survey based on exam results and "value for money".[6] In the 2011 examinations it was ranked amongst the top 20 independent schools nationwide for GCSE results and the best performing girls' school in the A Levels.[7] [8]

In 2006, the school became the first in Oxfordshire to make Mandarin a compulsory subject. Pupils will study it for at least a year accompanying French and can choose to either continue Mandarin or continue French.[9]

Houses

The girls in the senior school are divided into four houses, each named after an Ancient Greek deity:

Headteachers

Notable former pupils

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.headington.org.uk/oxon/stgiles/tour/east/16.htm St Giles' House (Judge's Lodgings), 16 St Giles' Street, Oxford
  2. Sherwood, Jennifer, and Pevsner, Nikolaus, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, Penguin Books, 1974. . Page 317.
  3. Web site: School History . 18 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120612190732/http://www.oxfordhigh.gdst.net/about-us/school-history/ . 12 June 2012 . dead .
  4. News: Private schools make top grade. Oxford Mail. 28 August 2001.
  5. News: Oxford High School's A-Level results – 2008 – another stunning year. Oxford Mail. 22 September 2008.
  6. News: Oxford High named top of class in south east. Oxford Mail. 22 October 2001.
  7. News: New GCSE results show the difference in how youngsters improve at secondary school. Oxford Mail. 26 January 2012.
  8. News: Oxford schools top the league tables. Cherwell. 2 September 2011.
  9. News: School pupils to learn Mandarin. Oxford Mail. 28 February 2008.
  10. Bishop, Matilda Ellen (1842–1913), college head. 2020-09-20. 2004. en. 10.1093/ref:odnb/48431.
  11. Soulsby, Lucy Helen Muriel (1856–1927), headmistress. 2020-09-20. 2004. en. 10.1093/ref:odnb/48573.
  12. Brown, William Haig (1823–1907), headmaster headmistress. 2020-07-26. 2004. en. 10.1093/ref:odnb/33634.
  13. News: No job for the boys as Abingdon School picks woman head. The Times. 25 November 2009.
  14. News: New Head for Oxford High School. oxfordhigh.gdst.net. 23 August 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110723133841/http://www.oxfordhigh.gdst.net/news/year/2009-10/new-head.htm. 23 July 2011. dead.
  15. News: Introducing the New Head for Oxford High School. oxfordhigh.gdst.net. 7 September 2017.
  16. News: Male headteacher is historic first for city girls' school . . 15 . 14 September 2017.
  17. News: Famous Faces. Oxford Mail. 24 August 2010.
  18. News: Star attends Oxford High School 50-year reunion. Oxford Mail. 5 October 2009.

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