MAGDALEN College School, one of the country’s top public schools, is to take girls for the first time in more than 500 years.

Last night, Magdalen College School, in Oxford’s Cowley Place, told parents and pupils the school’s board of governors had decided to admit girls to its sixth form.

The school, which was established in 1480 as an integral part of Oxford University’s Magdalen College and last year topped the country’s A Level league tables, will start consulting parents, staff and pupils on how and when to bring them in.

But the first girls could be starting lessons by September 2010.

The school’s head, Master Dr Tim Hands, said: “We see there being academic, extracurricular, social and developmental benefits.

“Boys and girls do tend to see things in different ways so you will get a bigger variety of viewpoints in the classroom. The more diversity inside your school, the stronger the learning experience is likely to be.”

He added: “The school would always have liked to attract more boys into the sixth form but many of the boys who applied said they decided against it because there aren’t girls in this school.”

Between £25,000 and £50,000 will be spent on upgrading the school’s 1928 sixth form building to cater for girls.

The school plans to increase the number of subjects offered in the sixth form as a result of the additional number of pupils on the roll.

Magdalen College School currently has 708 pupils, including 172 in the sixth form, and Dr Hands said the decision would not have any effect on fees or the number of places throughout the school for boys.

Parent David Charles said: “MCS had historically had only one deficiency. We’re delighted to see that remedied now."

Former students, known as Old Waynfletes, have been written to to inform them of the decision.

Meanwhile, Tom Faber, who is in Year 10, the first year that could have mixed classes in the sixth form, said: “I think the decision to include girls in the sixth form is a really good idea.

“I had heard rumours previously about a mixed sixth form and it’s great that the school has decided this might go ahead. As far as I know, my year is happy about this change.”

fbardsley@oxfordmail.co.uk