Students’ Thoughts On The Headington-Rye Merger 

It was announced on Friday the 15th of September that Headington School and Rye St Antony would merge.

 

On the 15th of September the cafeteria of Headington school erupted with excited and nervous chatter. The news of the merger between Headington was published at around lunch break and the message of this decision spread like wildfire.

 

It was stated by teachers that there was much to gain and not much to lose.

It was made known to students that there would be a wider range of subjects to choose from and that it would be beneficial to both schools. The Headington Prep School would be moved into the current Rye campus and they would be able to use a variety of resources as well as be able to use a larger campus. The students of Rye St Antony would move into the current Headington campus and there would be a sharing and merging of the school. 

 

Although the teachers made sure to reassure the student body of Headington, there were some concerns raised, amongst otherwise positive feedback. Some students felt that it would be a shame that the prep school campus would no longer be used as well as other issues. They felt that it was a nostalgic place of childhood memories and that it would be disappointing to let go of. 

 

“Although the merger between Headington and Rye St Antony was a shock to a lot of students, including me, I am in support of the merger because I feel that it offers more space and better resources for both schools. I believe that Headington is an adaptable space and merging with St Rye doesn't change the quality of the experience at Headington.”

 

“I think that the goals and ambitions of both schools differ: Headington School follows a more traditional or mainstream approach to education and emphasises academic excellence and prepares students for higher education, while Rye St Antony may prioritise creating a supportive and nurturing environment for students. Nonetheless, I think that it is still possible and likely that both schools can work in synergy to enhance the values of each school.”

 

“Looking back at it now after the initial heat on it died down, everyone definitely overreacted about the whole thing. The reason for the merger is understandable with the whole cost of living crisis and labour government coming up. It's not an ideal way to handle the problem but in the end it was the only/best option that they had at the time so it's kind of expected. The main thing I'm worried about is Headington's ranking dropping after merging, but school ranking doesn't really do much on CVs as they still focus on grades more than the school.”

 

Overall the general feeling is mixed. Headington students are concerned about the school rank and the closure of the Headington Prep school site but there is also positive feedback and excitement about the new people joining our school.