Rye St Anthony, Oxford closing???

[ohtobe4]

Heard this on the grapevine today. Anyone know anything more?? Is it true??

Press release

https://www.headington.org/about-us/welcome-from-the-headmistress/headington-rye-oxford/

Rye St Antony and Headington School are apparently merging. They just announced it today in an email. Lots of parents and students are unhappy about it.

Hi. It's merging with Headington School. If you read the FAQ and the plan ahead, it's more like Headington taking over.
It would be great to hear what people's thoughts are.
Any Headington prep mums here? I would like to hear from you.

Ah, thanks for the link. Interesting.

So what is Rye getting from this? Was it in financial difficulty?

So on the Rye campus, they are going to have the whole of Headington Prep, plus Rye Prep (co-ed). Hmmmm, that's going to be quite a large prep school??? Rye was lovely because it was small. Shame.

Yes, I think Rye is getting the short end of the stick with this merger. And I imagine some parents of Headington Prep will pull their kids out because it's going co-ed.

Well. That removes Rye from the list. Rye will vanish and the girls are to be subsumed within Headington on the Headington site.

while i do understand their reasons, we wanted a small site, catholic, nurturing senior school, not the imposing giant that is Headington.

It's a real shame.

So OHS will now be the only girls prep?
And Wychwood the only small/nurturing senior school?
WW must be pleased, as Rye was their main/only competition.

Our lady of Abingdon is the other alternative

Anyone in the south of Oxfordshire should look at Godstowe in High Wycombe. It’s essentially girls but boys up to y2.

Shame but I think many of us locally saw it coming.

Why is that out of interest?

I would think that there are lots of unhappy parents with this merger. The ones from Headington prep who wanted all girls prep. Parents who chose Rye because it's small and nurturing. Some parents who signed up for Headington secondary might not want a school with 6 or 7 forms. The new school will became a very big school. This might not appeal to many.

Our Lady's Abingdon has been co-ed for a number of years now.

Another link as the first one doesn’t work for me now.

Small and nurturing is probably too small to be viable. Around 300 pupils from age 3-18 is not viable. Tiny 6th form. It’s not the real world for a viable school.

Looking at day fees, they also seem low. Nearly £2000 a term below Winchester House in Brackley for y5 upwards.

My DD14 is at Rye. It's absolutely devastating news. It's like chalk and cheese in terms of ethos and culture.

Rye will be a prep site (co-Ed) and Headington the upper school. No changes this academic year.

I'm already planning on moving my DD14 after GCSE. Headington hot house is not what I ever wanted for her.

Surely this also means most of the rye secondary school kids will leave as headington has a far more robust profile.

@jeaux90
It is such a shame isn't it. I can't imagine choosing Rye and ending up at Headington. Could you jump ship now before it happens?

Wychwood and OLA will be the most likely suspects for absorbing the Rye kids I would think?

Headington are claiming they will provide the appropriate support to all current pupils (Rye included). Do will think this won't be the case?

The two schools are both Christian foundations. Yes headington is bigger but pastoral care is superb and individually focussed. I very much doubt there will be 6/7 forms in year 7. Year 9 always adds extra due to local
prep schools and boarders. I wouldn’t call it a hot house. If the student is able and motivated, they will get great academic opportunities. If less able, they will be supported to find their strengths in other ways. It is best to go and visit. Headington used to have boys in prep and I believe wychwood has been bought recently and might be going coed. You might want a small school but there is no doubt a limit to what you are happy to pay. Even with a large year group in year 9, it is no doubt still much smaller than state schools.

It was clear from
info sent out that they will!

I'm an ex WW parent, (DD now at uni) so I am a fan of WW. Rye was going to be our next choice if necessary.
A small school is absolutely right for some pupils. Thinking Headington can replicate the nurturing feeling of Rye is a huge mistake imo. My DD would not have coped at Headington as it is just too big a site, and too many people.
WW going co ed is not a big issue I think. The types of boys that it will attract will not make much difference to the feel of the school I reckon.

I'm just really sad to see a small school being eaten up by a giant.