FAQ
Facts and figures
How large is Headington School?
730 girls are enrolled in the senior school, including 232 sixth formers.
There are 280 girls at Headington Prep School.
At what age do pupils join Headington?
Headington’s primary intake years are 11+, 13+ and Sixth Form. We may on occasion admit girls to other year groups, where vacancies arise due to geographical movements of families or other exceptional circumstances.
Each year, 40–45 pupils transfer to Headington from our Prep School, leaving approximately 50 places for other applicants.
Which junior schools do girls from Headington senior school typically come from?
As well as the intake from our own prep, historically we have received significant numbers of pupils from a wide range of primary and preparatory schools including the Manor Prep; Ashfold; The Dragon; Chandlings Manor; Godstowe; Dr Radcliffe’s C of E Primary and The Carrdus.
Increasingly, we are receiving expressions of interest and registrations from SS Philip and James; Beachborough Prep; Windrush Valley Prep; Ferndale Prep; St Hugh’s; Hatherop Castle and Rupert House.
Whereabouts do Headington pupils come from?
As well as our intake from the Home Counties and the rest of the UK, we currently have girls from China, Hong Kong, Brunei, Nigeria, America, Canada and a wide range of other European, Asian and African countries on roll at Headington.
Affiliations
Headington Senior School is affiliated to HMC.
How do your year groups correspond with the numbering system used in the maintained sector?
Nursery = Nursery (Foundation stage)
Pre Kindergarten = Reception (Foundation stage)
Kindergarten = Year 1 (Key stage 1)
Transition = Year 2 (Key stage 1)
Form 1 = Year 3 (Key stage 2)
Lower 2 = Year 4 (Key stage 2)
Upper 2 = Year 5 (Key stage 2)
Lower 3 = Year 6 (Key stage 2)
Upper 3 = Year 7 (Key stage 3)
Lower 4 = Year 8 (Key stage 3)
Upper 4 = Year 9 (Key stage 3)
Lower 5 = Year 10 (Key stage 4)
Upper 5 = Year 11 (Key stage 4)
Lower 6 = Year 12 (Key stage 5)
Upper 6 = Year 13 (Key stage 5)
Admissions and Common Entrance
How should I prepare for the Common Entrance exam?
Although we do not expect candidates to have spent time practising for the Common Entrance examination, we do expect a degree of familiarity with the examination format. Past papers are available from all good bookshops or online at the Independent Schools Examinations Board website, www.iseb.co.uk, and it is worthwhile taking a look at some of these before tackling the exam. In order to sit the Common Entrance, girls must be registered with ISEB by 1 December of the year prior to entry. Please note that closing dates for application to Headington School are BEFORE the ISEB closing date - visit our Important Dates page for details.
Where do girls sit the Common Entrance exam?
Girls attending prep schools will usually sit Common Entrance at their own schools. Girls attending junior schools in the maintained sector are welcome to sit the exam at Headington – please contact Admissions to make the necessary arrangements. The examinations take place at the end of January for entry at 11+ and 13+. Offers are made within three weeks of the examination date.
What is the pass mark?
Headington does not stipulate a pass mark for the Common Entrance exam: instead, we take a broad view of each girl’s academic and other abilities in assessing her papers.
Academic
What are the hours of teaching at Headington?
Despite operating as a full boarding school for its 218 boarders, Headington’s hours of teaching reflect the healthy work-life balance of a day school. The school day runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., incorporating 5 one hour lessons and an extended lunch hour for extra curricular activities. Further extra curricular activities are scheduled after 4 p.m. We request that each girl in the lower school should select at least one extra curricular option each week, although all girls are encouraged to select as many as their academic and other commitments permit. The school week runs from Monday–Friday, and there is no Saturday morning school at Headington.
What range of subjects is taught?
21 subjects are offered throughout the school, with Greek available as an additional subject at GCSE and a further 8 subjects – Environmental Science, Psychology, Economics, Business Studies, Politics, Law, Further Maths and Photography – are added in the sixth form.
What size are the teaching groups?
The maximum class size is 24. In practice, many subjects are taught in smaller groups throughout the school. At GCSE, typical class sizes are significantly smaller, and at A level they are smaller still.
Streaming takes place in Maths, English and French from the Upper Third, and science is streamed for GCSE.
The ratio of teaching staff to girls throughout the school is 1: 8.
How regularly will I receive reports on my daughter’s progress?
Each pupil is graded on her achievement and effort each half-term and these grades are sent home to parents. In addition, each year we will provide tutor progress reports with agreed targets between tutor and pupil, a full written report by each subject teacher and the tutor, and a parent-teacher meeting. We operate an open-door policy at Headington, meaning that Heads of Year and Heads of Section can be contacted at any time.
How are computers used throughout the school?
ICT lessons are compulsory for all girls from Upper Third to GCSE, and ICT is available as an A level option. In addition, the use of ICT is incorporated into schemes of work in all subjects, and computers are available in all boarding houses.
Boarding
What proportion of pupils board?
Roughly one third of the pupils at Headington are involved in the boarding community, either as full, weekly or flexi boarders. Occasional boarding is also available to day girls who wish to spend up to 12 nights per year in the boarding houses.
What weekend activities are arranged?
A full programme of weekend activities is offered to all boarders, incorporating trips to the theatre, to London and even to Paris. We ask that all full boarders should participate in at least one cultural activity per term, but all girls are welcome to participate in as many activities as their other commitments permit. If girls are involved in sports teams and / or music and drama performances, they must fulfil their commitments to play in matches and / or attend rehearsals before selecting weekend activities.
Are there exeat weekends at Headington?
There are two exeat weekends per term and the dates are published in advance. Exeats begin at the end of the school day on Friday (houses close at 6 p.m.) and end when houses re-open at 6 p.m. on Sunday evening.
What medical arrangements are made for boarders?
There is a Health Centre on site at the school, staffed with trained nurses and with a regular doctor’s surgery.
Medical confidentiality is observed and the school Health Centre staff may not pass on medical information to anyone else, including school staff.
Extra curricular provision and facilities
What extra curricular options are offered at Headington?
All girls are offered a wide choice of over 50 optional extra curricular activities, to be undertaken at lunch times and / or after lessons. Additional weekend activities are available to boarders, and these additional activities may also be made available to day girls, space permitting.
Extra curricular activities are broadly divided into six categories: creative arts; current affairs; history & culture; music; puzzles & games and sports. We also offer active CCF and Duke of Edinburgh programmes, and participate in World Challenge.
Sporting achievements
Nearly 70 girls are involved in sport at county level, and we pride ourselves on our achievements in a range of fields. From netball and hockey to rock and roll dancing or equestrianism, we provide for a wide range of sporting interests and our policy of ‘sport for all’ provides for every level of ability and enthusiasm, from casual participation through to international competition. Headington is recognised as one of the country’s top girls’ schools for rowing, and our boat club is welcoming and popular.
Musical achievements
Over 400 music lessons take place in the senior school each week, as well as 18 vocal / instrumental ensembles involving around 390 girls. We have three orchestras and three choirs, varying in style from the Second Orchestra and Third and Fourth Form Choir for which there are no auditions, to the exceptional Chamber Choir, which has made four recordings and toured overseas.
All girls are involved in Class Music for the first three years. Music literacy forms a major part of the curriculum, alongside the key activities of Listening, Composing and Performing. By the Upper Fourth each girls participates in the composition, performance and CD recording of an original pop song.
Drama at Headington
Headington School pupils stage regular performances in the Theatre at Headington, a professional venue with seating for around 250. From the lower school to the upper 6th, girls of all ages are encouraged to get involved.
In addition, we have our own travelling theatre company, Venue 2 Venue, which has taken highly acclaimed productions to the Edinburgh fringe festival. Venue 2 Venue is a joint venture with Magdalen College School, Oxford.