Founded in 1875 by the Girls' Day School Trust. Its early pupils were among the first women to obtain university degrees and all pupils now go on as a matter of course to the leading universities, with over 30% to Oxbridge. Located two miles from the city centre, on three sites: the senior school is at Belbroughton Road and the junior school within walking distance on Bardwell and Woodstock Roads. The senior school has a new development including a hall, library, refectory, drama studio and modern languages centre. Facilities throughout are excellent and purpose-built for each faculty of the curriculum. The indoor swimming pool, playing fields and tennis/netball courts are on site. There is regular and extensive investment in the school's ICT facilities. The school is well known for its academic success and lively environment, and pastoral care is a strength. It provides a broad and challenging education; teaching is stimulating and examination results excellent. Girls are encouraged to express themselves without fear; differences of opinion are celebrated. Music, drama and art are very strong. So are sports and games, with many representatives at county and national level. There is an extensive range of extra-curricular activities and clubs, including charity initiatives, community service, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, Young Enterprise and CCF; trips abroad are extensive, including trekking in Nepal.
Pupils: Total age range 3-18, 935 day pupils. Junior department 3-11, 360 pupils (328 girls, 32 boys but boys no longer admitted). Senior school, 11-18, 575 girls. Entrance: Main entry ages 3, 4, 7, 11 and 16. Own assessment and interview used; for sixth form entry, at least grade A in most GCSEs, and certainly for sixth-form subjects. Academic potential and ability looked for; no religious requirements. School oversubscribed at all levels with waiting lists.
Variable number of scholarships of modest financial value, awarded at 11 and 16 (including academic, music, all-rounder, art, sport). Priority is bursaries, based on financial need, generally distributed at age 11. Approximately 20% of senior school receive some financial help. Fees include textbooks, careers consultancy; school lunches (mandatory to Year 11), £188 per term.
Headmistress: Mrs Judith Carlisle, in post from 2011. Educated at Convent of the Nativity, Kent, and at Bristol University (drama and English) and Goldsmiths’ (PGCE). Previously Headteacher at Dover Grammar School for Girls and Deputy Head at King Edward VII School, Norfolk. Teaching staff: 86 full time, 40 part time. Large number of visiting teachers for music, speech and drama, sport, and SEN.
GCSE: 76 in Year 11; all gained at least grade C in 10+ subjects, 91% with 10+ A grades. A-levels: 82 in Year 13, all passing in 3+ subjects (81% A grades), with an average final point score of 468.
Typically all sixth-form leavers go on to a degree course (50% after a gap year), up to 30% to Oxbridge. Many take courses in medicine and variety of other competitive courses.
GCSE, AS and A-levels. 27 AS/A-level subjects. Vocational: High standard of careers guidance at heart of school. Established work experience programme in Year 11; Year 9 in national Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Special provision: No formal provision but part-time specialist helps with dyslexia, study skills etc; special needs co-ordinator arranges courses for the gifted. Languages: Mandarin (compulsory in Year 7), French, German, Spanish, Russian, ancient Greek and Latin offered to GCSE, AS and A-level. 2 sixth-form tutor groups conducted entirely in French. Language assistants in each language. Many regular language exchanges. ICT: Taught as a discrete subject and across the curriculum. Several ICT suites and computers all over the school, all networked and with email and internet access.
Music: Over 70% of pupils learn a musical instrument in school, many more out of school; instrumental exams can be taken. Musical groups include 4 orchestras, 5 choirs, chamber groups, recorder groups, concert band, African drumming, many ensembles including jazz. Drama: Offered at all levels, including the sixth form. Many productions and plays at all levels. Art and design: Very popular: on average, some 50 take GCSE, 7 A-level. Ceramics, textiles, photography, sculpture also included. Art foundation courses popular in gap year. Several recent pupils have given solo shows and are self-supporting artists.
Sport: Hockey, netball, gymnastics, dance, health-related exercise, aerobics, rounders, tae kwondo, self-defence, soccer, yoga, fencing, tennis, street dance, athletics, swimming, badminton, trampolining, volleyball, life-saving, country dance, contemporary dance and squash. Sixth form: indoor climbing, real tennis, jazz dance, ballroom dancing, fitness. IDSA, ASA exams may be taken; also Community Sports Leader Award in sixth form. County, regional and national representatives in several sports. Biannual hockey tour to Barbados. Activities: 100 clubs and activities across the school (all staff involved in club or expedition): Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, Young Enterprise, World Challenge, community service. Clubs include literary, drama, football, science, computing, art, bridge, chess, sports, maths, debating, Christian Union, fencing, life saving, judo, salsa dancing, tag rugby, sailing, tennis coaching, Amnesty International, classical, conservation, fair trade, magazine.
Uniform: School uniform (informal) worn except in the sixth form. Houses and prefects: Competitions for sport, drama etc. Prefects, head girl and deputy, chair of school council elected by sixth form. School Council (junior and senior); student-led food committee. Social: Collaboration and a number of joint activities with other schools, state and independent. Large number of organised trips abroad to places such as Nepal, Brussels, Sicily, Morocco, Russia, Greece; biology and geography field trips, ski trips to Austria; sports tours, language exchanges; World Challenge expeditions. Many pupils cycle or walk to school. Meals self-service (mandatory to end of Year 11). No smoking or illegal substances allowed, nor alcohol (although sixth formers offered wine at appropriate occasions).
High degree of self-responsibility. Everyone is expected to treat one another with dignity. Emphasis on communication with home and individual target setting where appropriate. Uniform relaxed and comfortable so few problems. Those bringing an illegal drug into school for use or distribution are likely to be excluded.
is run by the Secretary, Oxford High School Old Girls' Association (for alumnae and former staff), c/o the school.
Dame Maggie Smith (actress); Sian Edwards (conductor); Elizabeth Jennings (poet); Emma Bridgewater (potter); Ursula Buchan (journalist); Sophie Grigson (cookery TV/writer); Louise Williams (violinist); Dame Josephine Barnes (first woman President BMA); Dame Rose Macaulay (novelist); Anne Pasternak-Slater (academic); Julia Hollander (director); Harriet Hunt (international chess Grand Master); Joanne van Heningen (architect); Cressida Dick (Metropolitan Police); Martha Lane Fox (lastminute.com).
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