Meet Katinka
Katinka joined Headington in Year 7 from a small prep school. She studies A Levels in Art, History of Art and is one of the first cohort to take Headington’s new Eco Textiles A Level. Katinka has experimented with creating recipes for different inks using ancient dye extracts along with inks from biowaste. For one of her major projects to create a kimono, she used old sheets, naturally dyed using ancient pigments, screenprinted using the shibori method. Everything is natural or repurposed and recycled materials. Alongside her studies, she will be doing work experience with a sustainable paint brand where she will dye some fabrics using natural processes to match their paint swatches – allowing her to be involved in the commercial side and consider how the skills she is learning can be taken into industry.
What makes Headington special?
I think what’s really special is that everything in the School is for girls, everything about it is tailored to girls’ education and girls’ opportunities. For the past seven years I’ve really valued that and it really feels like this school is really for me.
What’s your favourite thing about Headington?
The Art Department! I do a lot of arty subjects so I spend a lot of time there in fact all my A Levels are in the Hive building! It’s just such an amazing space.
How different does it feel now you’re in the Sixth Form?
It feels to me like a different school. There’s so much more freedom, there’s a different dress code and you get to wear your own clothes and so on. Obviously we’re still very connected to the main school but it does feel separate in a nice way. We’re all growing up and we get to have our own area. It’s really nice to have a space that’s just ours.
What are the teachers like?
The teachers are really great. I really love my Art and Textiles teachers, they’re really clever and they really know what they’re doing. I feel really supported by them.
What would you say to someone thinking of joining Headington?
Headington places so much emphasis on not just academic areas but all areas so if you just find what you enjoy, go along to as many clubs as possible and really get involved, you’ll enjoy it.
