Visit us!
Websites, prospectuses and even friends can tell you a great deal about a school, but there can be no substitute for a personal visit. If you are in the process of selecting a Prep School, Senior School or Sixth Form, we would be delighted to welcome you to Headington for an individual visit or to one of our termly Open Events.
Read on to find out more about Senior School Open Mornings, Prep School Open Afternoons, and individual visits to the Prep and Senior Schools.
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Open Events
Open Events at Headington take place each term, and provide a great introduction to the school. If you or your daughter have never visited us before, an Open Morning at the Senior School and Sixth Form or Open Afternoon at the Prep is probably the best way to get a flavour of the place, and to see whether it feels right for you and your family. Visit our Open Events page to book a place for any of our forthcoming events.
Open Mornings: Senior and Sixth Form
Senior School and Sixth Form Open Mornings run from 10.00-12.30, and if you have not visited the school before we recommend that you allow enough time to be with us for at least two hours. We ask visitors to book online or on the phone before coming to an Open Morning, giving us the chance to send you information in advance of the event, as well as any up-to-date advice on transport arrangements and parking at school.
During an Open Morning you will tour the school with one of our pupils from the L4, U4, L5 or U5 (Years 8-11). If you are interested in Sixth Form entry, it is particularly important that you book in advance so that we can arrange to have a current Sixth Former on hand to show you round. There is no fixed route for an Open Morning tour, so if you are particularly interested in certain departments or areas of school life, make sure that you tell your guide what you would like to see and they will take you there. If you would just like a general overview of the whole school, tell your guide you'd like to see everything and they'll be happy to oblige!
As you will be visiting us on a regular working day, you will have the chance to see lessons in action and many teachers will have their classroom doors open to enable you to listen in. We do ask that you should not interrupt lessons unless invited to do so by the teacher, but you are very welcome to stand at the classroom door to take in what's going on.
At least two boarding houses are usually open on Open Morning, and if you are at all interested in occasional, flexi, weekly or full boarding - or just curious about what life in a boarding house is like - ask your guide to take you down to see one of them. Boarders of all ages will be on hand at the houses throughout the morning to show you their rooms and give you an insider's view of boarding life.
Mrs Coutts, the Headmistress, usually runs two open Q&A sessions in the Theatre during the course of the morning, at 10.30 and 11.30. You can choose either to start your visit with a Q&A session, or to wait until you've seen the school before going along. Each session is preceded by a short talk from Mrs Coutts, and this is a forum in which you can find answers to any questions you may have about the running of the school, its ethos, and what the future may hold for Headington.
Senior staff, including the Deputy and Assistant Heads, Heads of Sixth Form and Lower School, Heads of Year and the Admissions team will be on hand in the hall throughout the Open Morning, and during our morning break time (11.05-11.25) a number of tutors, Heads of Department and other teachers will arrive in the hall to help answer any specific questions that you may have.
Open Afternoons: Prep School
Prep School Open Afternoons are very informal events, running from 2.00-3.15. Some families arrive at 2.00 and stay for the whole event, and we recommend that you allow at least 45 minutes to make a full tour of the school.
You will be welcomed into the Dining Hall by the Admissions Team, and Miss Bartlett, the Head, and various members of teaching and boarding staff will be available in the Dining Hall to answer your questions throughout the afternoon. Girls in the current Lower 3rd (Year 6) will be on hand to take you on a tour of the school, and if there are particular areas of the school that you'd like to see, just let your tour guide know and she will make sure that they are included!
Coffee, juice and delicious cakes will be available in the Dining Hall throughout the afternoon, and are served by current Prep School parents who will be happy to answer any questions that you may have about life at the school.
We strongly recommend advance booking for families planning to attend a Prep School Open Afternoon, in order to allow us to send you advance information, advice on parking and details of any last-minute amendments to the event format.
Individual visits
If you have already attended an Open Events and would like to see more of the school; if you have particular questions or interests that you would like to discuss in depth with our staff, or if you are unable to make it to any of our scheduled Open Events, please contact us to book an individual visit to the Prep School or Senior School. It is essential to book your visit in advance, as our diary fills up quickly!
Visiting the Senior School
A visit to the Senior School will usually incorporate a tour of the school with a current pupil, and a meeting with a senior member of staff. If your daughter plans to join the school in 2010, your meeting will be with the Headmistress, Deputy Head or Assistant Head. Due to volume of visits, however, if you are planning to join the school in 2011 or later you will meet the Admissions Registrar or Deputy Registrar at this stage. We will be delighted to arrange a meeting with the Headmistress closer to your daughter's proposed date of entry to the school. If you are interested in boarding, your visit will also incorporate a tour of a boarding house with a member of boarding staff, and your meeting will be with the Head of Boarding or Head of Pastoral Care.
If you are interested only in a day place with no boarding interest, you should allow around an hour for your visit. Boarders should allow one and a half to two hours.
Visiting the Preparatory School
A visit to the Prep School will involve a meeting with Miss Bartlett, the Head, who will then escort you on a tour of the school, giving you the chance to see lessons in action and meet current pupils. You should allow around an hour for your visit.
If you would like to book a visit to either school, please call Mrs Velk on 01865 759861.