Abingdon school to go co-Ed

[HooleyB]

Apparently they have had failed merger talks with SHSK and are now going to go it alone and move to co-Ed. It will be really interesting to see how this affects the girls schools and how well Abingdon can pull this off.

@Maisymouseinthehouse They were sent to all the Abingdon parents. I'm not sure if they are published somewhere on the website?

Bumping, interested parent moving to area here with two DDs.

Now some time has past, what's the chat at SHSKs? Are girls looking to leave to Abingdon for sixth form?

Does anyone know if it has effected interest in their year 7?

I'm keen on the school, but really unsure how this abingdon going co-ed thing will affect the local girls school?

So far it all looks like business as usual. I get the feeling that a few current Y10 girls were interested in moving when the opportunity comes to them, but how that translates to actual departures remains to be seen. I do know that some Y11 girls who got offers from Magdalen for 6th form are staying put at SHSK. There’s a very well thought out new SHSK 6th form building. There are early discussions about a relationship with Radley. Bear in mind that SHSK fees are lower too so with the VAT kicking in that is going to matter.

it’s hard to predict what the impact on lower years will be. SHSK has a Y5 entry not impacted by these changes. I’m rather sceptical on how many 11 year old girls will want to be in such a minority at Abingdon.

in the background to all this is the evidence that girls benefit from single-sex education. That is a constant in which will continue to be in the minds of parents. The people I know are relieved that SHSK is holding firm on this.

I have a son at Abingdon and a daughter at SHSK. I won't be sending my daughter to Abingdon. SHSK have just built a new 6th form centre which is really well designed and a great space for the girls. Abingdon have done nothing to reassure me this is the right thing for either the boys already there or the incoming girls. If I could move my son to SHSK I would do in an instant it feels to me like a far superior school from a pastoral POV and i believe girls will perform better academically here than they would at Abingdon

We have a son at Abingdon and the pastoral care is abysmal. We won't send either of his sisters. There has been no critical thinking about how to integrate girls and keep them safe/thriving. Girls do better without boys so why would you?

Following with interest to. We have a school locally that is a girls school, now looking to accep boys, which actually (despite the WhatsApp chat that loads of girls are looking to leave, as its not what they signed up for!), will be easier to accomplish than visa versa.

It seems there is a flurry of schools looking to go co-ed at the moment. I think they fall into one of two categories: Either (a) schools not doing well that need numbers generally (b) boys schools with the same issue, or those that have smelt the end of a boys only education.

Unlike 'girls only' schools, boys schools don't seem to have a fundamental argument anymore - at least one I don't hear.

Interestingly in this case, with it being a large boys school trying to take girls, the fact that people actively chose a girls education, for the obvious reasons, likely won't move or be swayed by this at all. I do wonder who in their right mind would send girls to a several hundred year old boys institution, hoping that the marketing has persuaded parents that they know anything about girls or how girls learn.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they have the money to build female changing rooms, etc. but I wouldn't send my daughter into a school like this, especially in the inaugural years, for love nor money. In fact, as someone who chose a girls education for my DD, if SHSK had been my school and it went co-ed, I would take her out. Too much change, too much disruption during a merger, and fundamentally not a girls' education any more.

The only entry point I see this working at for Abingdon, is sixth form, where strong, empowered young women, products of other independent schools or state schools, might move over for the co-ed experience?

Sorry, mind-dump over, I just find it really interesting and a real test of the 'girls only education' model!

Hi all I felt like I could shed a little tear as I am parent of a child currently inside of the school. DS is at Abingdon and is currently in year 11 and he loves the school. He finds the balance between academics sports and music great. Hes a bright boy definitely in the upper 1/3 of his cohort and he's a keen rower while he does love his rugby. Though his year won't be affected by the co ed changes there has been a lot of chat among current pupils and parents on the matter. I tended to see a more positive outcome from other parents who all seem delighted with the introduction of girls and believe in that the world is changing so these leaps by which the school seem to be taking is promising that Abingdon is headed in the right direction. In @HooleyB defense I can agree the pastoral care at Abingdon isn't great they have tried to use apps like whisper to help call out bad behaviour but it hasn't seen to do much. DS didn't like the previous pastoral head Mr Hindley who was fired 2 years ago for a serious matter the new pastoral head Mrs Kevil seems much more reasonable and responsible for the boys so I believe there has been big improvements in the personal help available for the boys receive. Moving on I believe the Abingdon's grades have to be highlighted there year groups are considerably larger than SHSKs around 200 boys in a cohort while I believe 100 are in cohort of a year at ShSk (might be wrong) the boys typically perform equally or even outperform the girls every year as exemplified by last years wonderful results where in 2024 Abingdon GCSE results were 71% of grades 9-8 while Shsk was only around 65% of grades 9-8 while on the A level terms Abingdon achieved a very impressive 70% A-A grade while ShSk achieved also an impressive 63% A*-A. In summary both schools are pretty academic if your DD isn't prepared to deal with 3 or 4 preps a night (yes around 2-3 hours of prep crazy but its much less in lower years) I'd highly recommend Pangbourne, Shiplake great all rounder schools. Furthermore with all this Co Ed chat at the school there is a real sense inspirations being taken up for example there are plans to expand the sports centre to house a new 2nd sports hall more changing rooms and further badminton and squash courts for the girls. I also believe there will be new netball courts being added next to the main field called 'waste court' specifically designated for girls sports like netball since sports plays a major role in the school reflected by their famous "Other Half" which offers 150 different extracurricular clubs ranging from arts and crafts to drama fencing paddle sports anything your DD could imagine. Abingdon in the last 15 years has also changed massively I must emphasise I've had 2 DSs who've attended this institute and every year the schools continues to grow modern additions like the Yang science centre in 2015, Beech court (sixth form centre library and art) in 2018, Faringdon logde (economics, computer science) in 2020, New boarding houses Austin and Cresent, a new dinning pavallion in 2023 all this plus further projects all in process can be identified by the schools Masterplan created back in 2011. Though I agree the early years of Co ed will be tricky sooner or later give it 5 or 10 years Abingdon will confidently be the first choice for Oxfordshire parents who are looking for a Academic Co ed school. Sorry for the long post I just thought I could help you balance your view on Abingdon.