St Helen & St Katharine

Founded in 1903, St Helen & St Katharine is an independent day school for girls in Abingdon, six miles south of Oxford.

St Helen’s is a school for bright girls with enquiring minds, a place where success is celebrated but not revered. We recognise that every girl is different and will bring to her school a unique combination of interests, abilities and aspirations. Our aim is to ensure that every student achieves success as she defines it, so that she can believe in herself, her talents and abilities, and feel prepared and equipped for life beyond school.

Our outstanding academic record makes us one of the leading girls’ schools in the country. In each of the four school sections – Junior Department, Lower School, Middle School and Sixth Form – stimulating and challenging teaching reaches beyond the curriculum, enabling our students to become effective and independent learners. An extensive range of opportunities for academic enrichment beyond lessons is offered, such as attending lectures and conferences outside school, visiting specialist speakers, discussion dinners and Oxbridge preparation.

Academic life in Sixth Form is about individual choice and learning beyond the ordinary business of a curriculum. Every student will choose three or four A-levels as the core of their academic work, some taught jointly with Abingdon School. Success in A-levels enables leavers to secure places on their chosen courses at top UK universities, including a significant number who advance to Oxford and Cambridge.

Our pastoral networks are strong and accessible, with form tutors, the Director of Students, and Heads of Section all playing a role in supporting students. We give students the space to explore their individuality in an environment which is big enough to celebrate a wide range of personalities and interests but small enough to know, to care and to spot when someone is having a good or bad day.

Our broad and varied extracurricular programme of 100+ clubs and activities plays a central role within school life. We actively encourage students to give new things a go – they can participate purely for fun or follow their strengths and excel through selective teams and groups, music and drama productions. From fencing and photography to philosophy and Mandarin as well as activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, there are always opportunities to explore and extend interests, to make friends across age groups and to build confidence and self-belief.