WHAT? WHERE?

Oxford High School GDST is a highly regarded and award-winning Prep and Senior girls’ school (read my review of the senior school), currently set across three sites close to the city centre. It’s hidden away down a leafy residential area in Summertown, close to the river. Oxford’s oldest girls’ school and only all-through girls’ school, founded in 1875 by Ada Benson, Oxford High teaches 760 pupils from 4-19 years. Of those, 210 are within the Pre-Prep and Prep in years of two classes at an average of 18-20 (moving to three classes for Years 5 & 6). It’s set within two traditional red brick 19th century mansions within walking distance of one another, though later in 2026, these will combine.

The Girls’ Day School Trust, which owns Oxford High alongside 25 other schools in the country, has managed to acquire the Edwardian building next door – some kind of miracle in Oxford’s competitive property market – and will unveil the first phase of its new Pre-Prep and Prep site soon. The littlies will join Years 3 and 4 in the current building and Years 5 and 6 will occupy the new building, which will also host a new science lab and innovative learning spaces. The new building’s history is also a bit of a coup for the school – its former occupant was James Murray, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, who built a metal shed, a Scriptorium, in the garden that held bookshelves and 1,029 pigeon-holes to hold the slips onto which each definition was written. Naturally, the school plans to have fun with this history including creating its own dictionary.

Phase 2 will see the area between the two buildings landscaped with a wooded outdoor learning space, and some of the older parts of the original building – like the gym – refurbed. All of this on top of the school’s 150th anniversary celebrations just last year. It’s all go!

FACILITIES

Oxford High Prep School students in music lesson

On site the school is currently constrained by its three storey 19th century architecture, but the changes will bring a new science lab, refurbished gym, dining hall and music space as well as a larger purpose-built performance space that will leave them less reliant on the Senior school around the corner, including a larger art area that will incorporate DT and textiles. For now, it’s a little scuffed in places, but warm and friendly with a lovely playground with raised beds for growing and a free flowing play area.

Academically there’s a single science lab, art room, sweet library with newly moveable bookcases for a more versatile space, small gymnasium and a performing arts stage within the main hall. The girls also have access to the facilities at the Senior school (just around the corner) with its 25 metre swimming pool, athletics track and tennis courts.

Over at the Pre-Prep it’s a more simple set up as you’d expect, in a smaller site (ideal for littlies who probably feel it’s enormous) with three year groups, from Reception to Year 2, until the move next year to Bardwell Road.

ACADEMICS

Oxford High Prep School students smiling

Oxford High Prep School is resolutely nurturing with a strong family atmosphere, and is relatively non-selective at Pre-Prep and Reception. However, the school also has a responsibility to feed its academic Senior sister down the road so relax tiger parents, teaching standards are high here (this year’s ISI inspection rated it excellent from top to tail).

There are weekly specialist teachers from Reception in Science, Mandarin (yes really), Choir, Music, Games, Swimming and Art, a weekly ‘Global Studies’ lesson to learn about other cultures and languages (with a different language each term), a weekly ‘Earth Studies’ lesson about environmental issues, the White Rose maths programme and group musical instruments introduced from Year 2 (a rotation of the recorder, ukulele and glockenspiel – find your earplugs quick) and individual lessons from Year 3.

How do they put so much unique teaching and off-syllabus time onto the timetable? This is the joy of being a Prep school whose pupils predominantly move onto its own Senior school, so removing the need for hammering exam prep (plus the offers are made at Year 5, so it removes the uncertainty of where they’re going which can dominate much of Year 6 at other preps). That, coupled with the school’s cosmopolitan and international parent body means it can maintain a more liberal and contemporary take on education – like Mandarin instead of French and two double periods of Earth and Global Studies every week.

So what to do with a Year 6 who aren’t exam prepping? Pupils in Years 3-6 undertake individual science research projects that are then presented to the parents in the summer term – a kind of Prep EPQ, as well as undertaking research for the school – a group recently presented their findings on more eco-friendly board markers.

There’s no streaming but instead TAs take pupils aside during lessons to assist them in areas of a subject they find challenging. The current head is a science teacher so STEM is high on the agenda, and there is a strong thread of building confidence and curiosity through the school – the website lays claim to moulding ‘fearless’ girls, and there’s plenty of inspirational artwork showing trailblazing women on the walls.

EXTRA CURRICULAR

Gymnastics, dance and athletics are part of the PE curriculum, along with weekly swimming lessons. No surprises in the main sports – hockey, netball, football, cricket and tennis. Full marks for no rounders which got the boot back in 2018. Music-wise there are two orchestras (impressive for a small school), junior strings, wind ensemble, choirs and guitar group among others.

WRAP AROUND CARE

The school day runs from 8.15 to 3.30, so relatively short for an independent Prep, but there’s good wrap around provision, meaning you can drop your child for breakfast from 7.30am and pick up at 6pm once they’ve completed after school clubs or activities – the likes of ceramics, chess, ballet, board games, football are all on offer from 3.30pm-5.30pm.

THE HEAD

Jessica Williams started in the top job in early 2019, having previously been Deputy Head and Head of Girls at bucolic all-rounder Ashfold School in Dorton, Bucks, Head of Boarding at Lucton School and Head of Year 7 at Aylesbury Grammar School. She’s friendly and enthusiastic, and a great believer in the school following its own path as well as teaching to facilitate learning rather than taking a didactic approach. She’s gunning for Rights Respecting School gold status, which centres on children’s right to be listened to and heard, and will be evidenced through lesson plans and pupil feedback. Williams also wants greater interaction with the older girls. And indeed, as I left the school on my recent visit, a cohort from the senior school were arriving to help with a sports session.

Sustainability features high on the agenda too, with a new boiler, solar panels and efficient lighting among the initiatives to meet the GDST’s carbon neutral commitments. Williams has also overseen a reboot of the house system to bring teachers into teams and include Reception girls in house competitions, which can be anything from dance and timetable rockstars to pumpkin carving and fundraising events.

QUIRKS

Oxford High Prep’s idiosyncrasies include Mandarin from Reception through to Year 7 (the first year of Senior school) – with 37 languages spoken across its student body, you can see why the school takes an international approach. There’s also the #FutureReady programme, a sort of in-house DofE, which is all about cultivating and celebrating creativity, kindness, courage, and resilience in the girls. It aims to recognise all types of strengths, not only academic achievement, and girls tick off from a long list of challenges and tasks to earn an award every two years, presenting proof of their achievements as they go.

FEES

Inexpensive for a city independent school, reflecting the compact space and lack of sprawling campus. Fees per term run from £4,560 for Reception through £6,178 for Years 5 & 6. Add £335 for lunch each term for Reception – Year 2, and £403 per term for Years 3-6.

TRAVEL

Oxford High Prep School students reading

Given the age of the children, the majority of parents here are within easy access of the school, but there is a minibus network covering 8 different Oxfordshire routes including Bicester, Croughton, High Wycombe, Haddenham, Wallingford, Witney, Chipping Norton, and Kingston Bagpuize.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Oxford High Prep School has a reputation as family-oriented and inclusive, no doubt helped by the relatively small numbers here. The food, which is made on site and includes two hot choices, a veggie dish and salad bar, has a great rep among the girls who regularly vote on their favourites to put on the menu (currently pizza, hot dogs and lasagne).

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Those looking for a small, safe, nurturing environment. Designed to develop confident, inquisitive, collaborative girls. There’s a forward-thinking spirit here that will attract liberals and globalists.

Not for: The lack of space and off-site facilities are not for all, though this will change imminently with the new building and much less ferrying around of the girls. Sport here will always be more about participation and experiences rather than fierce competition, which may deter the Olympians of tomorrow, though there’s plenty of sports clubs in the city that you can join. And there’s no guarantee of a place at the Senior school on leaving Year 6, though you have roughly a 90% chance so pretty good! Places are confirmed at the end of Year 5, so there’s plenty of time for applications elsewhere if necessary.

Dare to disagree?! Be my guest! The next Prep School Open Morning is 7 May 2026 – register for that and future events here. You can also watch a recent video tour or find out more about the Prep school here.

1 Bardwell Rd, Oxford OX2 6SU Phone: 01865 559888

Oxford High Prep School GDST

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