Welcome to Rye St Antony Boarding, where girls live happily in comfortable, modern accommodation, supported by a team of experienced boarding staff. Our school is set in 12 acres of woodland, close to the centre of Oxford and within easy reach of London, Heathrow, and all major airports.

The well-being and happiness of our girls is our first priority. Boarders aged 9 to 18 live together, creating a close knit community and family-like atmosphere in which older students act as ‘big sisters’ supporting younger girls and helping them to settle in. With boarders from all over the world, friendships span the whole world, and last a lifetime. Boarding at Rye is about so much more than school.

Head of Boarding

I am Jo Talkington, Head of Boarding and I live onsite with my family and pet dog Jax. I am a qualified nurse and teacher and have diplomas in complimentary therapies. I have worked in boarding for over twelve years, and I bring the best of this experience to my role at Rye.

My boarding team consists of my deputy, Ms Sarah Gensmantel, and two wonderful Graduate Assistants dedicated to looking after our boarders. Ms Gensmantel is a very experienced Head of Boarding and offers yoga, fitness training, mindfulness and much more; she is great fun to be with and is dedicated to making your stay here safe, happy and fulfilling.

We offer full, weekly, flexi and occasional boarding. We appreciate how busy life can be for our pupils’ families and support is always at hand for the occasional weekend trip or late returning school trip.

We have two boarding houses, and many onsite and offsite activities to enjoy.

Living away from home helps our Boarders to become independent, sociable, engaging and culturally aware. With Oxford on our doorstep, a walk into the town is a regular event and who could not be inspired by the City of Dreaming Spires, famous throughout the world for its universities not to mention the fabulous shopping centre. During their time here, as they learn valuable life skills and make lifelong friends, our girls cherish their experience of Rye school and boarding.

At Rye we have four guiding principles for boarding;

Be at Home 

Our boarding community is a warm homely environment; a large family with pets and many siblings caring for each other. We want our boarders to be happy and involved in ‘home’ life plans. This is achieved through the student voice, weekly meetings and regular feedback opportunities. We involve all boarders in the planning of activities, menus, events and the structure of the boarding day. We offer a wide range of activities on and off site to suit all ages from Year 5 to Year 13, activities are aimed to educate through cultural enrichment, provide enjoyment, encourage team work and provide physical health benefits.

Be Healthy and Feel Safe

Rye is committed to making every boarders’ experience the best it can be. Our aim is for every boarder to be healthy and to feel safe, and the welfare of every boarders is our priority. We achieve this through bespoke holistic care; meeting each individual boarders’ physical, emotional, spiritual and personal needs by knowing each boarder individually; their likes and dislikes, their hobbies and interests. Communication is the vital element to our pastoral success, our boarders are supported by a strong pastoral team who work seamlessly with school staff, the school nurse, the Chaplain, parents and guardians, to give continuous support and care. We provide nursing care and medical cover 24/7 our boarding staff are all first aid trained.

Be Yourself 

Through the Christian Catholic ethos we empower and encourage our girls to be thoughtful, care for others as well as themselves and to set personal goals and aspirations. We aim to have a bespoke programme to suit every individual‘s needs irrespective of whether they are a full, weekly or flexi boarder. We give opportunities for personal development and leadership, and we encourage involvement and recognition of their role in the wider community in today’s modern democratic British society.

Be Respectful 

Positive attitudes are promoted through mutual understanding of differences and the celebration of individuality. We encourage the development of tolerance, kindness and acceptance. Our boarders work together to support and respect each other, and appreciate the richness of diversity of each boarders’ cultural background.