Abingdon School will become fully co-educational

The Governing Body, along with the Heads and Senior Leadership Team, have agreed that both Abingdon School and Abingdon Prep School will become fully co-educational. Girls will enter Pre-Prep at Abingdon Prep School from September this year, and the entry of girls to Abingdon School will begin at Year 7 and in the Sixth Form in September 2026, extending thereafter in incremental steps across the years at both schools.

As Governors, we are responsible for the long-term strategic direction of the Abingdon Foundation and we have reached this decision only after an extended period of careful thought and detailed analysis. Looking at the health and achievements of the Foundation today, we can claim to have largely completed what has been a remarkable period of building and refurbishment to ensure our facilities offer the best opportunities for our students and staff. This has been delivered in parallel with developments that are now at the core of our educational mission, such as our focus on Teaching & Learning, on Wellbeing and Pastoral Care and on our Partnership programmes. The Foundation is financially strong and we believe it is in the best place it can be to take this next step in its long history.

As the senior school’s Aims and Ethos statement already expresses it, Abingdon has “a constant eye on innovation to reflect the needs of a rapidly-changing world”. Our vision is very much of a stronger Abingdon Foundation with the proposition of an education that will be exceptional for both girls and boys in terms of its opportunities, its excitement and its ambition for their future.

In making this decision we have carefully considered our existing relationship with the school of St Helen and St Katharine and have evaluated ways in which working more closely could fulfil the vision outlined above. Joint discussions have been taking place between senior leaders and governors at both schools for more than a year. In the end, however, we came to realise that our differing views on the concept of co-education mean that this is not an option at this time.