Rye St Antony (now part of Headington Rye Oxford)

Rye St Antony no longer operates as a separate school. In September 2024 it merged with the neighbouring Headington School to form Headington Rye Oxford. Visit the merged school's page for current information.

Heritage

Rye St Antony was a small Catholic independent school for girls in Headington, founded in 1930 by the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It occupied a hilltop site at Pullen's Lane with views over Oxford, and ran from nursery through to sixth form, with a small number of boarders. The school maintained its Catholic identity while welcoming girls of all faiths.

What set Rye St Antony apart was its character: small, intimate, and unpretentious — the kind of school where every teacher knew every child's name. It was less academically selective than Headington or Oxford High, with a broader intake. Where it excelled was in pastoral care and in supporting girls who might have struggled in a more pressured environment. Among Oxford parents it had a loyal, almost fierce following — the "anti-hothouse" alternative.

That tradition lives on within Headington Rye Oxford, which inherits both schools' values: Headington's academic ambition and breadth alongside Rye's emphasis on individual pastoral care and Catholic tradition.

For current information on the merged school — fees, admissions, age range, ethos — see Headington Rye Oxford.