Education & Training
Discover news and stories from across Oxford and Oxfordshire’s diverse education and skills landscape — from world-renowned institutions and leading state and independent schools to forward-thinking professional training providers and specialist skills academies
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Oxfordshire internship program helps young people thrive in the workplace
Warwick Bourton, a 19-year-old intern with additional needs, is thriving at Bicester-based Oxford Office Furniture through Oxfordshire County Council’s supported internship scheme. During a meeting with his supervisors, he surprised them by selling office chairs, demonstrating his initiative and natural sales skills.
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Cokethorpe School in Witney appoints Dr Sarah Squire as new Head
Dr. Sarah Squire has been appointed as Cokethorpe’s eighth Head and first Headmistress, succeeding Damian Ettinger, who retires after 23 years. She will assume the role in September 2025, bringing experience from d’Overbroeck’s and Oxford High School.
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Top Oxfordshire girls school announces appointment of new head
St Helen and St Katharine School in Abingdon has appointed Mrs Sarah Rollings as its new Head following the retirement of Mrs Rebecca Dougall in summer 2025.
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Developers secure approval for first primary school at Didcot’s Valley Park
Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey have been granted approval for the first primary school at its major Valley Park scheme in Didcot, representing an exciting milestone in delivering a high-quality educational facility as part of the 4,254-unit development.
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New Head of Prep for Headington Rye Oxford Prep School
Headington Rye Oxford Prep School has announced a new Head of Prep. Mr Bertrand Leullier, currently Senior Deputy Head at South Oxfordshire co-educational prep school St Hugh’s, will take on the role in September 2025.
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Oxford University’s Opportunity Oxford diversity scheme sparks debate over academic standards
The initiative reserves one in ten undergraduate places for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and academics have voiced concerns about its impact on academic standards.
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Carrdus School to close in 2025 due to financial pressures
The impending closure has been attributed to increasing financial pressures, including the mid-academic year introduction of VAT on independent school fees, the loss of charitable business rates relief, and rising employers’ national insurance contributions.
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Oxford University and Ellison Institute of Technology enter a long-term strategic alliance
The alliance aims to develop the solutions and future leaders needed to tackle some of the greatest and most enduring challenges facing humanity with an investment of at least £130m from EIT
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Lord Hague of Richmond elected as new Chancellor of the University of Oxford
Lord Hague will be formally inaugurated as Chancellor early in the New Year and serve for a term of 10 years. He becomes the 160th recorded Chancellor in the university’s history, a role that dates back at least 800 years.
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Community effort brings new library to life at Carterton Primary School
Students, staff, and special guests gathered for a ceremony at the school in Carterton, including Jo Cotterill, the celebrated children’s author and Patron of Reading for the school, who cut the ribbon and declared the library “open for business.”
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Oxford Brookes University completes £1m refurbishment project at its Headington Campus
Work has been completed to increase the number of teaching spaces available to staff and students and improve existing buildings as part of wider refurbishment works at Oxford Brookes University’s Headington Campus.
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JEMS Outreach Programme inspires young minds at Oxford High School GDST
Oxford High School GSDT welcomed sixty enthusiastic Year 5 pupils from St. Francis Primary School and St. John Fisher Primary School as part of its Junior Engineering, Maths and Science (JEMS) outreach programme devised and led by science teacher Maria Whittington.
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A-levels 2024: Our Lady’s Abingdon students achieve more than double A* grades over last year’s results
The percentage of A* grades increased from 7% to 16%, higher than pre-Covid results. A fantastic 88% of EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) students achieved A* – A, and two-thirds of all students achieved a top grade (A*, A, B) in at least one of their subjects.
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A-levels 2024: Oxford High School GDST crowns off a terrific year with outstanding results
Oxford High School GDST has crowned off a terrific year with outstanding A-level exam results. The school was named the Independent Girls’ School of the Year last September, and it held its first-ever TEDx talk in March.
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Rhodes Trust announces new global art residency programme in Oxford
The Rhodes Trust has launched its inaugural Rhodes Art for Global Impact Residency, which aims to harness the power of art to address pressing global issues and promote social justice.
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Oxford Brookes University develops ‘grief and loss’ resources for school children for OxTrail
Oxford Brookes University has teamed up with Sobell House Hospice to develop educational and creative resources for school children to support difficult classroom discussions around grief and loss as part of this Summer’s OxTrail.