Academic Excellence
Headington Rye Oxford is a selective, academically challenging school where girls achieve results which send them to Oxbridge, Russell Group universities and prestigious academic institutions all over the world.
We don’t just take girls who are already in the top five percent and then sit on our laurels as they bring home grades they would achieve in any school. We select girls from a broad range of ability based on potential and the ability to access a fast-paced curriculum. We support and challenge them to achieve the best possible results, providing a huge amount of choice so every girl can find the subjects which will fire their imagination and give them the chance to excel.
By the time they finish at Headington Rye Oxford, they are achieving well above the grades they were predicted on entry, with girls recording on average half a grade higher per subject than their predictions at GCSE with a further boost at A Level. This puts us among the top 15 per cent of schools in the country in terms of pupils achieving higher results than their assessed potential.
We support and challenge girls to achieve the best possible results, providing a huge amount of choice so every girl can find the subjects which will fire their imagination and give them the chance to excel.
Excellent Results
The figures speak for themselves – the School is consistently in the top 100 schools nationwide in terms of exam results.
Educating the Whole Child
We are not an ‘academic hothouse’, though – we encourage girls to try out, take up and pursue a wide range of extra-curricular activities and are interested in developing the whole child. Our girls get fantastic results but they do so in a rounded, supportive and inspiring environment where they have fun and make friends.
Digital Learning
Headington Rye Oxford is a forward-thinking school, embracing modern technologies that can aid and enhance the learning experience for the girls in school. To that end, all girls from U3-U5 (years 7-11) are provided with their own iPad.
The 1:1 iPad strategy enables the girls to become more independent in their learning and to extend learning possibilities both inside and outside the classroom. Importantly, it also means that each pupil has an equal experience and can access the same resources, whether at school or at home.
This technology does not replace, but rather complements and enhances the excellent teaching and learning at Headington.
Our vision is to
- Eliminate barriers, truly making learning any place, any time
- Empower learning, bringing more creative freedom and ownership
- Equip to explore, giving students the confidence to ask and answer challenging questions
- Embrace independence, through effective and innovative homework and preparation
The iPad Strategy includes
- On and off-site web filtering
- Centralised app deployment and management of devices
- Cloud-based storage
- Genius bar for additional support and assistance
- Fully comprehensive insurance
Lower School Curriculum
From the moment your daughter starts at Headington Rye Oxford, she will be taught by specialists in each of her subjects.
We pride ourselves on offering a huge amount of choice and are confident that we will help find and nurture each girl’s individual talents.
In the Lower School, which is made up of the first two years of Senior School, Year 7 and 8, your daughter will be able to explore and develop her abilities in a very wide range of subjects. Our expert teachers will challenge her to think in new and exciting ways, deepening her understanding and subject knowledge. With Oxford on our doorstep, we are lucky enough to be able to enhance and enrich the learning inside the classroom with lectures, workshops and field trips. We take every possible opportunity to widen your daughter’s horizons and give her space and support to find where her skills and interests lie.
Lower School Subjects
| Art | Biology |
| Chemistry | Computing |
| Creative Engineering & Design | Dance |
| Drama | English Language and Literature |
| Fashion and Textile Design* | Food and Nutrition* |
| French** | Geography |
| German** | History |
| Italian** | Latin |
| Mathematics | Music |
| PE | Physics |
| Religious Studies | Spanish** |
| Personal, Social and Health Education |
*In Year 7 and 8, Fashion and Textiles and Food and Nutrition are taught on a carousel, with girls spending one and a half terms on each subject.
**In Year 7, girls will study French, Italian or Spanish. In Lower Four, they will also choose a second language from French, German, Italian or Spanish to study.
Middle School Curriculum
In Year 9 girls move to Middle School and are encouraged to take increased responsibility for their own learning, having a greater input in the choices of subjects they study. Before the end of the year, they will make their GCSE subject choices. Teaching for GCSE courses in subjects such as Maths and Science begins at the start of Year 9 but girls will not start the GCSE syllabus in the bulk of their subjects until the beginning of Year 10.
| Core Upper Four subjects | Practical and Language Choices |
|---|---|
| Biology | Creative |
| Chemistry | Art |
| Computing | Art Textiles |
| English Language and Literature | Creative Engineering & Design |
| Food and Nutrition | Dance |
| Geography | Drama |
| History | Music |
| Latin | Modern Languages |
| Maths | French |
| PE | German |
| Physics | Spanish |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | |
| Personal, Social and Health Education |
In Year 9 girls will select three creative choices and two languages.
GCSE
As your daughter begins her GCSE programme, she will take increased responsibility for her own learning and start making the choices which will shape her future career.
Choice
With 27 options available, choice is at the heart of the Headington GCSE experience. We work closely with the girls to help them choose a curriculum which best suits their abilities, aspirations and plans for the future.
The only mandatory subjects are Mathematics and English Language, both essential for progress to university and the workplace, along with at least one Science. Beyond these subjects, there is significant freedom to select almost any combination of subjects. Alongside a programme of usually nine GCSEs, girls are encouraged to take one of our accredited one year courses, the Higher Project qualification, School Certificate in Philosophy, Award in Finance Education, Digital Communication Qualification
(podcasting), Award in Creative Writing or Award in Global Citizenship. These courses are completed in Year 10.
Girls all take PE and Personal, Social and Health Education, along with timetabled enrichment activities in Year 10. Learn more about the GCSE programme at Headington
Results
Each year our girls record fantastic results in their GCSE examinations and we celebrate each and every achievement. View our latest GCSE results here.
