500-year-old all-boys Oxford private school which educated Utopia author Thomas More to go fully co-ed
The top private school in Oxford, which educated utopian author Thomas More, is to become fully co-educational for the first time in its 546-year history.
Magdalen College School (MSC) in Oxford, which charges £28,000 a year, plans to admit girls to all year groups from next year.
He said he felt this ‘felt like the right time to make this change’ as the school had previously started admitting girls to sixth form in 2010.
This move, which would be seen as a transition towards modernity, came after some other schools made similar moves.
Executives in the industry have privately noted in the past how accepting girls can have a positive impact on men’s attitudes.
The MSC was founded in 1480 as a ‘singing school’ and department of Magdalen College, Oxford, and continues to train the 16 male choristers of Magdalen Chapel Choir.
His former students include King Henry VIII, who wrote his masterpiece Utopia in 1516. There is also St Thomas More, who was beheaded for refusing to acknowledge Henry VIII as head of the Church of England.
Others include Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and recent Nobel Prize winner Sir Tim Hunt and film director Sam Mendes.
Oxford’s top private school, which taught utopian writer Thomas More (pictured), will become fully co-educational for the first time in its 546-year history
Magdalen College School in Oxford, which charges £28,000 a year (pictured aerial view), plans to admit girls to all year groups from next year
The school said it felt ‘it felt like the right time to make this change’ as it had previously started admitting girls to sixth form in 2010 (image: headteacher Helen Pike)
It announced earlier this term that 43 students had received Oxbridge offers.
A spokesman said: ‘This is a natural next step for MCS and builds on our positive experience of admitting girls to sixth form since 2010.
‘Our decision will further strengthen our mission to facilitate educational excellence in a diverse and inclusive school.
‘Current and prospective parents often ask if we will accept girls; In many ways, it has become a question of when, not if, to be accepted.
‘As we approach our 550th anniversary in 2030, it feels like the right time to make this change.’
The school, which caters for children aged seven to 18, said it would gradually transition to co-educational education over the next decade and girls would be admitted to Years 3 and 4 in 2027 and to Year 7 in 2030.
A scholarship fundraising target of £15 million will also be set by 2030 to provide places for less affluent children.
Headteacher Helen Pike said: ‘This is an exciting time for everyone at MCS. We’re proud to offer a happy and inclusive learning environment where the brightest children can learn and grow together, shaped by inspiring teachers and enriching opportunities.’
MCS is one of the top private schools in the country and consistently ranks high in the league rankings.
Last year, 61 percent of all classes were 9th grade and 94 percent were at least 7th grade.
Meanwhile, 45 students got 10 8-9 grades, while 12 students got at least 10 9th grades.
This comes after Winchester College in Hampshire began gradually admitting female students from 2022, while Wellington College in Berkshire became fully co-educational from 2005 after first admitting girls to sixth form in the 1970s.
